Going Nowhere Fast
by Sidnika
Summary: Athena Shepard accidentally meet Kaidan Alenko in an alley in Vancouver. She runs with the Reds, rides a motorcycle and steal, and he's from the fancy part of town. Set when Kaidan has just come back from jump zero, does not follow canon. Rated M for smut in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I wrote this for myself but decided to publish it here in case someone likes it. Please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Bioware owns all**

**Chapter 1**

_The sirens are screaming and the fires are howling,  
__way down in the valley tonight.  
__There's a man in the shadows with a gun in his eye,  
__and a blade shining oh so bright.  
__There's evil in the air and there's thunder in sky,  
__and A killer's on the bloodshot streets.  
__Oh and down in the tunnel where the deadly are rising,  
__Oh I swear I saw a young boy down in the gutter,  
__He was starting to foam in the heat._

**- "Bat Out Of Hell" by Meat Loaf**

She was walking seemingly carefree through the streets, like she was out taking a stroll in the nice weather, but it was all a facade. She was actually tense as a bowstring and watched out for anything and anyone. She was good at gathering information on the other gangs and she usually enjoyed it, the feeling of being in control and knowing things she wasn't supposed to. But today she was far out of the Reds territory and it made her jumpy, just wanting to get back to the neighbourhood as quickly as possible but not wanting to draw attention to herself by walking too fast.

The streets were always more empty this time of day and just as she felt thankful for it she saw the living proof of the downside. At least she thought he was alive, thought she could see his chest moving. She hesitated at the corner of the alley and ran her hand through her long mane of red hair before she strode down the length of it to the body lying at the end. As she drew closer she could tell two things: he was definitely breathing and he did not belong here. How he'd ended up here she didn't know but he was wearing way too nice clothes to have anything to do in this part of town. He was bleeding from the nose and one of his eyes looked swollen but she couldn't see any other wounds or blood on him. He looked to be a few years older then herself, maybe 19 or 20 with thick black hair and a handsome face under all the blood. She shot a quick look out to the main street but saw no one. She sat down beside him and carefully touched the guy's arm.

"Hey, wake up"

He stirred and she put one arm across his chest and the other on his brow as he started to regain conciousness to hold him down and stop any excessive movements. She didn't know what had happened to him but if he'd been bounced around bad he could have a fracture in his spine. His eyes squinted and she made sure to put her face above his so he could see her without moving.

"Take it easy. Don't move, alright?"

His eyes focused on hers, a kind of amber brown under thick black eyebrows, and from the movement in them she could tell that he was already trying to get a hold of the situation.

"You look like you've been beat up. Can you feel you legs and arms? Can you move them?"

Out of the corner of her eye she could see his fingers moving and he managed a nod, despite her hand on his head. She moved back but kept one hand on his chest to keep him from getting up.

"Don't get up too fast, you've probably got a concussion"

"Yeah"

His voice was raspy and rough and he licked his lips while he moved his head to the sides to try and locate where he was. She took that opportunity to glance back towards the entrance of the alley again but it was still clear.

"Where am I?"

"Downtown Vancouver. The part of town someone like you never goes to"

She gave him a crooked smile and he managed a faint one back.

"I can see why"

She chuckled, at least he still had his wits.

"How's the head?"

"Pounding. But no nausea"

"You remember what happened?"

He nodded at first but stopped and squeezed his eyes shot. The hand that went to his head indicated the head hurt more then he was trying to let on. She realised she still had her hand on his chest and moved it so he could sit up if he wanted to.

"Was passing through when a couple of guys showed up and pushed me into the alley. Said they wanted my omni tool and my wallet and I gave it to them but they beat me up anyway"

He made a move to sit up and she helped him get back a couple of inches so he could lean against the wall.

"Don't suppose you wanna tell me why you were passing through in the first place?"

His eyes narrowed and he didn't look like he wanted to tell her anything at all and she sighed.

"Didn't think so"

She cast another glance towards the larger street and decided she rather not stay here longer then she needed to.

"Look, you wanna call someone from my 'tool or something? Cause I rather not stay here and you don't look like you can get home on your own"

"Yeah. Thanks"

She took it off and handed it to him while keeping watch on the mouth of the alley. She wasn't normally this jumpy but something in her gut said she was gonna pay for doing a good deed. He made a quick call to someone who said they'd come and pick him up and he sent the coordinates. She bit the inside of her cheek to refrain from telling him that staying in this place was like inviting trouble for dinner, and contented with holding a quiet debate inside her head. Stay or bale? She decided to stay. Maybe a stupid decision but she could run fast if it came to that, and this guy looked really vulnerable sitting there. He was holding his head in his hands and seemed to be in some pain.

"Hey, you alright?"

She realised what a stupid question it was as soon as the words were out of her mouth. The guy had just been beat up and robbed, of course he wasn't alright. He nodded though, still with his head in his hands.

"Just a headache. Thanks for helping me by the way"

Polite even when beat up.

"No problem"

Well, that remained to be seen. The silence stretched on but she didn't feel like making small talk, and considering the headache he seemed to have she was probably doing him a favour. Within 10 minutes they could hear the engine of a car approaching and when it came into view and stopped right before the alley she quickly sucked in a breath. This was no good. The car was really fancy, she was willing to bet all she owned that a car like _that_ hadn't been seen in this part of town for a long time.

She glanced at the guy in front of her and at his nod she stood up and hauled him to his feet. He was heavier then she expected and swayed ominously, so she loped one arm around his waist and put one of his arms over her shoulder to keep him steady. Two people jumped out of the car and made their way towards them. The first one to reach them was a woman, probably the mother, and she threw her arms around him without even a glance for the girl holding him up. The man behind her seemed to have his emotions more under control and managed a smile at his son's saviour. And there was no doubt that this was the father, the resemblance was striking, from the black hair to the build and brown eyes.

He relieved her of the guy while the mother was mumbling assurances to her son non stop and the three of them started moving back towards the car in one unorganised heap. She followed more slowly but wished that they'd hurry up, but of course they didn't see the problem in riding their 500 000 credit car right in here and draw attention to them all. It took both parents to get their son into the backseat and as the mother climbed in next to him the father turned towards the one who'd helped his son and held out his hand.

"Thank you for helping Kaidan. I'm in your debt"

She took his hand after a split second hesitation but before she could answer she heard catcalling and a chorus of 'Damn!' that made her close her eyes in resignation. This was gonna be trouble.

"That's some car!"

She opened her eyes and squeezed the man's hand to get his attention that had been focused on the oncoming group.

"You should go. Really. Like, now"

He didn't need to be told twice and got into the car without another word.

"Hey Red, you know these rich guys?"

She didn't know if the nickname was due to the colour of her hair or the gang she ran with but she fervently prayed for the first one. She tried to melt away in the background as the car started backing out and turning around the corner to face the right way, but the crowd wasn't about to let them slip away that easily. Not that they were actually going to do some damage, just seeing if they could scare the fancy people who unknowingly drove into their midst, but of course the guys in the car didn't know that. She could tell what was about to happen before it did but there was no way to stop it. At least no smart way. The crowd surrounded the car and started banging on the hood, and as long as the parents and their son stayed inside the car they would be fine, but the father in the front seat had his lips pursed together in a tight line and she knew there was only a moment before he stepped out. And a 500 000 credit car was well worth beating three people to get, especially since one of them was a woman that didn't look like she'd been in a fight her entire life and a boy who was already pretty beat up.

It was not a sound decision, she knew that. And she was usually smart.

"Hey! Leave them alone"

It felt like time had slowed down and she could see in slow motion the shocked expressions on the faces of the people in the car and the incredulous look of the crowd as they all turned their attention to her.

"What did you just say?"

She recognized the leader, Danny, as he stepped towards her. He ran the Crows who usually stayed out of the Reds way, but she'd heard some crazy stuff about him. The sort of stuff that made her wish she was anywhere but here. No telling if there was any truth to them, but there was no turning back now either way.

"I told you to fucking leave them alone. You think you gonna steal a car like that and the cops won't find it? How stupid are you?"

Danny's eyes narrowed and he knew she was right, but it didn't mean he had to like it. Especially not being told by a girl who also insulted him. He made a movement with his hand and they all stepped away from the car to move towards her. _Shit_. She looked over at the car and they were clear but they still hadn't moved, what the fuck were they thinking? The man in the front seat was staring at her and didn't seem to know if he should drive away or try to help her. Idiot, she didn't risk her life just so they could all go down.

She was paying attention to the wrong thing and was brought back by the fist that collided with her face and made her stumble backwards, but she at least managed to stay on her feet. Instinct had her bring up her arm to ward off the next blow that were aimed at her head and she ducked below the outstretched arm to try and slip away. She heard the car door open and whirled around even as Danny was approaching again.

"No! Just go!"

She waved her arms at the man who was halfway out of the car.

"Fucking _drive_!"

She hoped he was getting back in because she was done paying attention to them. She stepped aside to avoid another blow and drove her fist hard into the side of her attacker and was rewarded by a grunt of pain. She knew she couldn't beat them all, hell, she didn't even think she could beat this guy, and knew she had to run. At least she was familiar enough with the neighbourhood to know where the shortcuts were and she was smaller and faster then all of the others. She jumped back and started running towards the other end of the street where there was a high fence she could climb. She knew she was good at climbing and once she was over that fence it was gonna take them some time to reach her. She jumped up and caught hold with both hands and feet and vaulted over the fence before any of the others had been able to lay hands on her. She heard the car drive away and felt a wave of relief wash over her, she hadn't done it all in vain. She started running and didn't stop until she was several blocks away and her lungs were aching.

Standing there with her hands on her thighs the pain in her chest started to abide and her attention was caught by a black wallet close to the wall. After a few more seconds of breathing she picked it up to find it was empty, but there was still and ID and a card with the address scrambled across it. She stared at the picture on the ID._ You've gotta be kidding me. _It was the guy from the alley. What were the odds that she'd find this? Maybe she should return it, the address was there after all. Now that she'd found it, it felt like she had to. She looked at the name. _Alright Kaidan Alenko, I'll return your wallet to you. _She should be able to do one good deed without it coming back to bite her in the ass.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This chapter was the one I wrote first and it's really cheesy, and I'm sorry about that. I have no excuse other then I kind of like it that way :P Please R&R! And thanks to those of you that already did :)**

**Chapter 2**

_I'm gonna hit the highway like a battering ram,  
__on a silver black phantom bike.  
__When the metal is hot and the engine is hungry,  
__and we're all about to see the light.  
__Nothing ever grows in this rotting old hole.  
__Everything is stunted and lost.  
__And nothing really rocks  
__And nothing really rolls  
__And nothing's ever worth the cost_

**- "Bat Out Of Hell" by Meat Loaf**

She took off her sunglasses and paused at the door, before she pushed the button and heard the doorbell chime from inside the house. She looked up at the building and it was _huge_, she was certain her own apartment could fit in the entry hall and she shared that with Joker.

"Just a second!"

The door opened and the woman from the alley, Mrs Alenko she guessed, was looking at her with mingled fear and surprise. Before the woman started panicking she quickly held out the wallet.

"I found this, guess it belongs to your son"

Mrs Alenko took it from her out of reflex and moved her lips but no words came out. Just as she was about to turn around and leave, the father and another man appeared behind the stunned woman. The father's eyes widened in recognition and she quickly repeated her reason for being there.

"I found the wallet, just thought I'd return it"

Too late she realised that they would _of course_ assume she had stolen it to begin with and she felt a twinge of fear in her stomach, but carefully made sure her face didn't show anything. If she showed any fear she would be lost. When it came to street kids like her, standard procedure was usually guilty until proven innocent, and she didn't relish the thought of being chased through an unknown neighbourhood. The man beside the father was dark skinned and of average height. He had a posture that immediately made her think of the military officers she had seen that time when she was hiding out at the space port, and he was looking at her as though he found her very interesting. She couldn't help but think of herself as a deer caught in the headlights. Mr Alenko spoke first.

"How nice of you to return it. Do you want to come in? This is the girl who helped Kaidan" He added the last part to the dark skinned man who was still studying her intently.

_If I enter that house, I'm fucked._

"No, thanks, gotta get back" She gestured vaguely towards her motorcycle parked at the end of their driveway.

"Actually we've got some questions for you that we'd like answered" The other man said and the tone of his voice told her it wasn't a request. But there was no way in hell she was going into that house.

"You KGB?" She said with a smirk and leaned on the doorpost to perfect the careless facade.

"Worse. Alliance"

So she'd been right about the military thing. Damn.

"So this is what you get for trying to do a good deed" She pushed off the doorpost but also knew they wouldn't let her go that easy.

"Relax, we just wanna talk. The porch on the side of the house?"

She looked him in the eyes for a few seconds but he seemed like a straight up guy so she slowly nodded. Not that she had any choice. She could run, sure, but he could probably outrun her seeing as he was way more fit and had longer legs. And she'd have to leave her bike.

She walked around to the other side of the house and stepped up on the porch as the three adults walked out on with the younger guy, Kaidan, trailing behind them. All four of them sat down in the couch at one end of the table and she naturally sat down in a chair on the other side, careful to appear fearless and completely in control. Kaidan was looking at her with barely contained curiosity and she gave him a small smile before turning her attention back to the military guy.

"I'm David Anderson, friend of the family. I heard what you did today, helping Kaidan"

He hadn't phrased it as a question and she didn't answer, just kept looking at him with slightly raised eyebrows and the small smirk in the corner of her mouth. When it was obvious she wasn't going to say something he tried again.

"It was very nice of you to bring the wallet all the way here"

"Kind of regretting it right now"

That made him smile and she took it as a small victory. Just had to think carefully before she said anything. Not that she had done anything that would normally catch the Alliance's attention but you could never be too careful, and if the rest of the Reds thought she'd become a snitch she'd be in trouble.

"No good deed goes unpunished. What is your name?"

"I have many names"

"The name your were born with"

"Can't remember that far back"

He frowned and she thought she might have gone a bit too far. She did want to humour him, after all, without telling him anything that mattered.

"The people at the orphanage called me Jane Doe"

He continued to look at her intently as if he expected her to keep talking but she wasn't about to fall for that. Oldest trick in the book. His eyes did seem to bore right through her though.

"When did you first come to the orphanage?"

"When I was four"

"Then I think you _do_ remember the name you were born with"

He was sly, the old man, and she let her smirk grow wider.

"Maybe. But if I didn't tell anyone at the orphanage, why the hell would I tell you?"

She thought she could see a small smile playing around his mouth but she couldn't be sure.

"What do they call you on the street?"

"Shep. Or Copper" She made a gesture towards her red hair and grinned.

"How original"

She shrugged.

"It's a simple crowd"

She let her eyes sweep over the rest of the people in front of her. The mother seemed clearly uncomfortable with the whole turnout and the guy she'd helped, Kaidan, was still staring at her. The father was watching her with a small smile but didn't look like he was about to intervene. He had some of the same air of command as the Alliance guy, but much more subdued.

"Is it your bike?"

Alliance guy nodded his head in the direction of the driveway.

"Yeah"

"You old enough to ride that?"

She laughed. Hadn't meant to, it was just above funny that he'd be concerned with _that_ detail of all things.

"How old would you prefer me to be?"

He watched her silently for a few seconds but seemed to come to the conclusion that it wasn't important enough to keep pushing it. She was starting to wonder where he was going with all this though. He hadn't accused her of stealing the wallet, but in all honesty, if she had, she'd be more then stupid to go to the house and draw more attention to herself. Although some people might get a kick out of getting away with that. Some people who wished to spend their life in jail, that is. She was not one of them.

"How did you get it?"

"Hard work"

His raised his eyebrows as if he found that hard to believe. She _had_ worked hard to get it, maybe not honest work, but still.

"What kind of work?"

"This and that. Maybe not entirely legal"

"Stealing? Drugs?"

She shrugged but said nothing else. She wasn't stupid enough to confess to something like that, or she'd be in jail before she could blink. He studied her in silence for a while and then turned his head to look at the motorcycle. She really hoped he wasn't thinking of trying to impound it or anything, she loved that bike.

"You're not thinking about stealing my ride are you?"

"It's a nice bike, but no"

"Figured. Alliance guys are not supposed to do that"

"Although stealing from a thief seems like a victimless crime"

She could clearly see the smile in the corners of his mouth this time and decided he was just trying to rattle her. He obviously didn't believe she'd come by the bike by honest means, which was kind of true, but he didn't seem interested enough for her to worry about it.

"Funny, that sort of thinking is how I got it in the first place"

He laughed at that and even the other man, Alenko Senior, chuckled. The ice seemed to be breaking a bit after that and both men seemed a little less intimidating. She didn't look to make the frowns return and decided to give them some of what they were after.

"Look, you wanna hear my side of the story or something? That why you insisted on this 'friendly' chat?"

Both men nodded and she let out a dejected sigh.

"I had been in another part of town and was on the way back when I saw him lying in the alley" She jerked her head in Kaidan's direction but kept her eyes on the Alliance guy. "I could see him breathing and he had the nice clothes and all so I figured he'd been jumped or something. He was still out cold but woke up pretty quick when I spoke to him. Made sure he could feel his toes and fingers and all that shit and then I helped him sit up. Nothing seemed to be broken but he was still pretty out of it and I couldn't carry him so I let him use my 'tool to call someone to pick him up. Stayed with him until his folks showed up in the nice car that of course drew the attention of everyone in vicinity. I guess you heard what happened then. I told them to drive, got the fuckers off me and did what you military guys call a 'tactical retreat' - jumped the fence and ran like hell"

The two men and Kaidan all chuckled at that and she started to feel a bit more relaxed. She might just come out of this without having to play tag with the trained soldier.

"I saw the wallet on the ground a couple of blocks away and picked it up. Still had the ID and an address. I recognized him and brought it here, and before you get any ideas – no, I didn't take anything from it"

She locked eyes with Kaidan when she said the last part and hoped he believed her. She'd only tried to help him after all, but the intense look in his eyes as they stared back at her was warm and he looked thankful. He did have very nice eyes, she'd recognized that the moment he opened them in the alley. They made him look friendly and, well, _nice_. What a guy like him had been doing around that part of Vancouver was beyond her.

The Alliance guy brought her back to reality.

"Did you get injured?"

She shrugged and touched her bruised forehead lightly.

"Just some bruises, nothing serious"

"You sure? We could take you to the hospital" _And pay for it. _He didn't say it out loud but it was in the subtext. A nice offer but not necessary.

"I'm good"

They all sat quiet and stared at each other for a few more seconds before she cleared her throat.

"Is that all? 'Cause I should get back"

"Yeah of course. Didn't mean to keep you"

She smirked at that with raised eyebrows.

"I'm sure" She turned towards Kaidan. "I'm glad to see you're alright"

He looked back at her with the same intense gaze he'd studied her with the whole time and smiled.

"Thank you, it was really nice of you to help. And to return my wallet"

She nodded towards him and put her sunglasses back on, more because the feeling of security that came with hiding her eyes then anything to do with visibility as it was almost sunset.

"Anytime"

She wasn't sure if she meant in though, helping him seemed to get her into even more trouble then usual. It was just one of those things you're supposed to say.

They all followed her back around the house towards her bike and just when they reached it, the Alliance guy put his hand on her arm and held out a card with the other.

"Give me a call if you need anything. The Alliance would love to have you when you come of age"

She took the card and put it in her jacket, knowing she'd probably never use it.

"And here I thought you were trying to do me in for something, not recruiting"

He shrugged and smiled as he backed away from the bike.

"The one doesn't have to rule out the other"

She straddled the motorcycle and turned the kill switch on, but just before she started the bike she hesitated.

"Hey" The Alliance guy looked up at her and their eyes locked. "It's Athena. Athena Shepard"

Before he could answer she pushed the button and the bike roared to life. She looked over at Kaidan and he opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but then he closed it again and the moment was gone. Before she could do something she'd regret, like asking if he wanted to hang out, she turned the bike around and manoeuvred it out of the driveway. She drove way over the speed limit the whole way back, both feeling like she'd dodged a bullet and that she'd left something important behind.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks to all of you who keep reading! This chapter is maybe not the most action specked, but the next will hold more Kaidan, promise! I greatly appreciate it if you take the time to review :)**

**Chapter 3**

_Remember when we were young  
__just two kids on the run  
__With our fists full of dreams  
__Took it awhile, playin' it cool  
__stayed up late cuttin' school  
__While lightin' cigarettes, like James Dean  
__In the backseat of my Chevrolet  
__where the radio would play and play  
__And all the world would fade away_

**- "Forever" by Skid Row**

"What the fuck is up with you?"

Athena stopped her pacing and looked up at Joker, confused.

"You haven't heard anything I've said for the last few minutes, have you?"

He watched her with one eyebrow raised and she gave him a sheepish smile and sat down on the cot beside him.

"Sorry, guess I'm distracted. I'll listen now, promise"

"Too distracted to hear the story of me kicking Finch's ass?" He studied her face intently and she tried to adapt an innocent expression, but Joker always saw right through that and today was no exception. "Is it that guy from the alley? Cause really, I didn't figure rich boys with no clue how to handle themselves was your type"

"Shut up, it's not like that" She muttered and got up to continue pacing, but apparently it was too good for Joker to pass up.

"You like it when you get to be the knight and the guy plays the damsel in distress, huh?"

"Why else would I still be hanging out with you?"

"Ouch, that hurt" Joker put his hand over his heart and did his best to look wounded, but the smirk betrayed him. "And here I thought it was my good looks and charm"

"Well, that too" She grinned at him and sat down at his side again. "It's not just the guy. I've been thinking of that Alliance thing. Maybe joining up" She glanced at him to see his reaction but his face was blank. "I know it's a year away and there's no guarantee I'll even make it to eighteen, but still. Maybe" She cocked her head and watched him from underneath her eyelashes. "What do you think?"

"You'd be a hell of a soldier, that's for sure. But as you say, it's a long ways off. I might even join you, not as a marine but maybe a pilot" The smirk was back and he peered at her. "Meanwhile, I've got this great story of me kicking Finch's ass..."

They both started laughing and the serious expression on Athena's face disappeared. Then Joker suddenly frowned a bit and got a mischievous smile on his face.

"Wait a minute! You said 'It's not _just_ the guy'. So you have been thinking of the guy!"

Athena punched him in the shoulder hard enough for him to yelp.

"Watch the arm!"

But they were both smiling.

"So what's this of you kicking Finch's ass?"

Joker knew the change of topic was only for her benefit, but he let it slide and started a very dramatic, and embellished, retelling of the story that had Athena crying of mirth.

* * *

She turned the engine off, parked her bike and got the crutches that she'd been cramping fixed under her arm during the ride, and gave them to Joker as he rode his bike up next to her. He was careful not to scratch the red paint job as he braced himself on one crutch and swung his other leg over the seat. Joker had Vrolik's syndrome, brittle bones disease, but he was on his medication and only needed the crutches for getting on and off the bike, and to get up from when he was sitting on the ground. He would have preferred not to bring them at all, which was why she'd carried them, but after the incident when he'd decked Finch using one of them it was easier to convince him they might be useful. The others had parked and were ready to go and they made their way down the hill towards the water, only to stop dead when they realised that they weren't alone.

"Shit" Athena muttered when she saw the fancy black car parked among others of equal value. Joker turned his eyes towards her with a questioning expression and she nodded towards the car. "I have an inkling who owns that"

"Should we find another place?" Dave asked the question but they all looked towards her like she was some kind of leader although she wasn't. Maybe it was just that her opinion was usually the most pronounced.

"Nah, lets just give the fancy folks some space. There's plenty of room for all of us"

Her heart started beating a little faster as her eyes lingered on the car that had almost gotten her into a nasty fight a few days back, and she wondered if the whole family was here. The scent of barbecue and the sound of laughter told them that they were basically crashing a beach party and Athena couldn't help but wonder if Kaidan would be there. She'd be lying is she said she didn't hope for it. It was strange, she didn't even know him, had barely said a few words to him but she still felt like she should have said something more outside his house. She had a feeling he'd wanted to say something there too, but that he'd chickened out just like her.

They went over the hill and sure enough, a couple of rich families were there sharing the public grill. Well, they hadn't planned on using the grill anyway. Just drinking beer, playing some songs, Dave had brought his guitar, and maybe a bonfire. Seeing as most of the families had children with them they wouldn't be staying long in any case. Few noticed them as they headed over towards the water but a familiar figure caught her eye and looked right back with an unyielding gaze. Damn. Alliance guy was still with them. David Anderson, she reminded herself. Since she'd told him her real name she might as well use his. She let her eyes rake over his company and both Alenko Senior and Kaidan sat on the blanket, but no Mrs Alenko in sight. Besides Anderson, no one in the group seemed to have noticed their arrival and she tore her eyes away to focus on her current company – Joker already grinning at her knowingly and it took great restraint not to hit him at that moment.

"Shut up" she muttered under her breath and steered them all to an empty spot away from all the others where they dumped their stuff. The sun had not set yet and it was a warm summer evening, for Vancouver at least, and since those days were scarce, it would be a waste not to take advantage of it. They took off their clothes and raced down to the water in their underwear, Joker going more slowly after them.

Once the five of them started joking around, Athena forgot about the company they had farther up the beach and just enjoyed herself. It was not often she saw Joker like this, laughing and moving as unhindered in the water as the rest of them. They had been a team as long as she could remember, finding each other during that first time at the orphanage and staying together ever since. His disability meant there was some things he couldn't do for the Reds but his quick mind and ability to drive anything with wheels, and some things without, more then made up for it. Joker was like the brother she never had, or maybe she had a brother somewhere, she didn't know, but Joker was the one she chose. He was almost a year older then her and would turn eighteen in a few weeks but he still looked to her to make the decisions and sometimes she felt like the older one. She reached up and ran her fingers over the tattoo on her left shoulder blade. It was a bird, a blue jay, in full flight and Joker had a matching one at the exact same place. It was the first tattoo for both of them and they'd gotten them just after joining the Reds and getting paid for their first job, but while she'd taken to it and gotten a few more afterwords, Joker only had the one.

She was brutally brought out of her sentimental musings by Johnny, who unceremoniously picked her up and threw her into the water with a roar. By the time she came up for air they were all laughing hard and she joined in. It was not often someone got the jump on her like that. She decided to pay back in full and it quickly became a war where it was Athena, Joker and Dave against Johnny and Jade. By the time Johnny and Jade surrendered the sun had started setting and they were all breathless and starting to get cold.

The headed back up to their packs and saw that most of the families had cleared out by now. Athena cast a fugitive glance towards the Alenkos and saw that they were still there. Alenko Senior was talking to Anderson but Kaidan was clearly watching her while she put on her pants and she turned her face away from the others to hide the small smile she couldn't hold back. Not that she minded him looking, she had nothing to hide. With her long legs, slim figure but still ample hips and chest she had gotten used to the attention from guys, and some girls, since she was 14 years old. She'd learned to ignore it but this time she found she quite enjoyed it. She cast her eyes back to him and held them there for a few seconds until he seemed to know he was being watched and he looked up, then quickly away, blushing furiously. She smiled and slid her tank top on. It was kind of cute that he seemed so embarrassed over some harmless ogling. Silly, but cute.

By the time she sat down between Jade and Joker, there was an ongoing discussion about the band that was going to play at the local club on saturday. They'd listened to them a lot and they all looked forward to it. Jade passed her a beer and she took a swig and shivered before setting it down in the sand beside the blanket. Her long hair was wet and cold and she tied it into a braid that hung over her right shoulder before she got up.

"We should find some wood for a fire before it gets pitch black"

They all got up and scattered around to find dry wood. Athena was thinking about the band when she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around, only to find the hand belonged to Anderson. She tensed up and quickly stepped out of his reach, old habit, before regaining her posture and relaxing the muscles.

"Did I scare you?" He was smiling and she huffed.

"You wish"

"Collecting firewood?" He phrased it as a question and she raised her eyebrows at him.

"Stating the obvious, huh?"

He chuckled and bent down to pick up some driftwood. She straightened up and glared at him.

"You just thought you'd help?"

"Wanted to see how you were"

"You haven't asked"

"Would you answer truthfully if I did?"

She shrugged and didn't answer but admitted to herself that he probably had a point.

"Then how are you planning on finding out?"

"I'm good at reading people"

She snorted at that and looked at him suspiciously but he just continued to collect wood. He probably _was_ good at reading people and that made her a bit uneasy. She really didn't _get_ this guy.

"Why do you care?"

He finally straightened up and as he turned towards her she had to resist the urge to take a step back. He cocked his head while looking at her and seemed to be thinking of the answer.

"You fascinate me. Not many people would risk themselves like you did to help a couple of strangers get away. Why did you do that?"

She felt uncomfortable under his gaze and the way he pictured her like some damned hero when she had just acted on an impulse. From the corner of her eye she could see Joker watching and smiled at him to let him know everything was alright. You could never be too careful with strangers. Joker visibly relaxed at her reassurance and she turned her attention back to Anderson. He was still watching her with a curious expression.

"Your friend getting worried?"

"We look out for each other" She took a deep breath before she began to answer his question, a question she wasn't sure she knew the answer to. "Look, I don't know. I saw the guy in the alley, and the smart thing would be to have kept walking and ignored it. I didn't feel right though. And all three of them were so _obviously_ out of their element it was almost painful"

She shrugged but Anderson just kept watching her. After a silence that felt like it stretched on forever she gave the one final reason she hadn't wanted to admit.

"Had a friend who died from a beating once. Would have lived if somebody had helped him to a hospital in time but he was just left there" The beach suddenly felt chilly beyond the setting sun. "I didn't want it to happen to someone else, and he had a bad headache" She nodded towards Kaidan. "Needed to get to the hospital, not laid out in the same alley twice. Don't know why he was even there to begin with, didn't seem like the adrenaline junkie type. Guess you can say the he _fascinated_ me"

She gave a lopsided grin and Anderson laughed. Athena felt relieved that he didn't ask any more questions and as she started back towards the others he followed with his arms full of driftwood. There was already a small pile of wood in the sand beside her friends, who was looking at their arrival suspiciously.

"This is David Anderson. He's Alliance" She dumped her wood on top of the pile and gestured towards the guys. "Joker, Dave, Johnny and Jade"

Anderson stepped forward to shake their hands and since they could see that Athena wasn't worried they didn't look as disturbed by the Alliance- thing as they normally would. She'd told them about her run-in with the Alenkos and Anderson so they knew who he was but they looked surprised that he was over there with them, helping to gather firewood. As a matter of fact, so was she. She sat down next to the pile and pulled out the old newspapers they'd brought to start the fire.

She heard Dave asking Anderson about the Alliance and what kind of missions he got to do, and Athena couldn't help but smile to herself. The ever-curious Dave. How he had managed to stay alive for so long was beyond her, since he always poked his nose where it didn't belong and often managed to stir something up. He'd gotten her into trouble more time then she could count, but he always got her out as well so she guessed she couldn't be mad. He was a real romantic too, probably wanted to join the Alliance to become a space hero. She liked to think she was more realistic.

The fire roared to life and she got back on her feet to get her beer and bring their blankets closer, it really was getting chilly. Joker elbowed her in the side and nodded towards the arrival of two more people. Athena looked in the direction and saw Alenko Senior and Kaidan walking towards them, no doubt wondering where Anderson had gotten to. The father recognized her and held out his hand for her to shake.

"Hello again. We just keep running into each other"

She shook his hand and returned his gaze, not sure if he implied that she was stalking them or if he was just making conversation.

"Small world"

She turned towards Kaidan who held out his hand with a small smile playing around his mouth and she wondered if he was still embarrassed for staring at her earlier.

"Hi. Thanks again for helping me"

"No problem"

Why did she keep repeating that? She was lucky to have gotten away with a bruise. The others had gathered around now and she sighed. Introductions.

"Guys, this is Kaidan Alenko and his father Mr. Alenko. Kaidan's the one from the alley. This is Joker, Dave, Johnny and Jade"

She backed away as everyone was shaking hands with each other and it struck her how weird this was. She had barely said a few sentences to Kaidan but this was the second time she'd accidentally ran into him, and the third time overall, in just a few days. The Alenkos were the sort of people they usually avoided, that used to look at them like they were scum or dangerous, or both. And here they were, shaking hands like it was all normal.

"We should be going, didn't mean to disturb you. It was nice to meet you all" Anderson made the excuse as soon as he was able to get away from Dave's questions. "Again" he added to Athena with a smile, and she found herself smiling back. Then Joker spoke up.

"So Kaidan, there's this band playing at the club downtown on saturday and we're all going. You wanna come with? They're really good"

Athena could have killed him. He kept a straight face but Athena could tell he was laughing at her on the inside, knowing how mad she'd be. She quickly interfered.

"That's not his kind of place at all, and probably not his kind of music either. You'd just be bored"

She added the last part to Kaidan, and although she tried to persuade him not to come she kind of hoped he'd want to anyway. He looked back at her with a searching look before he smiled.

"Yeah, why not. Sounds cool. I'm sure I'll like the music"

Athena felt like she'd been holding her breath, and breathed out slowly. At least she'd given him a way out if he wanted it. Apparently he didn't. Joker was quick on the uptake and didn't miss a beat.

"Cool. We'll come by and pick you up at eight" He turned to Athena "You remember where he lives, right?"

Joker was practically getting her a date and she could see the laughter in his eyes.

"Yeah"

"See you then!"

Joker waved and the three men waved back before they turned and left for their car. She took a deep breath before whirling around and staring in disbelief at Joker's grinning face.

"So, how badly do you wanna hit me right now?"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks to the people who have reviewed and favorited this story, it means a lot! So keep doing that :) I try to publish one chapter a week but the next might take a little bit longer since I have a big exam next week. But keep letting me know if you like it or not!**

**Chapter 4**

_I wanna be young the rest of my life_

_never say no - try anything twice_

_til the angels come and ask me to fly_

_I'm gonna be 18 til I die_

**- "18 'Til I Die" by Bryan Adams**

"You're kidding right?"

"You're the one who knows where he lives and we can't take the bikes to the club anyway. Be a waste of gas if we all went to collect him" Joker did his best to look innocent even as Athena narrowed her eyes at him and put her hands on her hips.

"I've no idea what the hell you're trying to do Joker, but for fuck's sake, _stop_"

He grinned at her shamelessly.

"That's no way to speak to the one who got you a date. Now, scram. I told him he'd be picked up at eight"

Joker took another swig of his beer and smirked as she furiously picked up her leather jacket and put it on. She shot him a murderous glare before marching through the door and slamming it behind her. She heard him shout through the closed door.

"See ya soon!"

She was furious but she should have expected it. There _was_ no reason for them all to go and pick up Kaidan, but really, this would look like a cheap romance vid with her coming to pick him up on her trusty steed. She let her hands travel the side of the bike as she mounted it. It, _she_, really was a beauty, black with blue ghost paint in the shapes of flames. Original, but pretty. She turned the engine on and hit the road, driving towards the fancier parts of the city, wondering if the night would be a disaster or if there was some way it would all work out.

She arrived at the Alenko house a few minutes past eight and turned the engine off. She didn't know if she should go and ring the doorbell or if he'd come out by himself but she hoped for the latter. Something about that house freaked her out and she didn't want to step inside. Maybe it was just the sense of not belonging there, being afraid of breaking something. Or maybe she just didn't feel comfortable knowing how a vase in that house was worth more then all her things together. Except, perhaps, the bike. She sighed and realised she would have to approach the house after all, when the front door opened and Kaidan stepped out. If he was surprised that only she was there to pick him up, he didn't show it. She let her eyes wander over him as he made his way towards her. He was wearing a regular pair of black jeans and a dark grey t-shirt, nothing like the fancy clothes he'd been wearing the other times she'd seen him, and she allowed herself to smile. He wasn't stupid, at least. But really cute.

"Good to see you decided to dress down"

Kaidan glanced at his choice of clothes and looked a bit uncertain.

"Should I wear something else?"

Apparently he didn't know if she'd been sarcastic and her smile widened. Yeah, definitely cute.

"No, that's fine. I wasn't kidding or anything" She was still straddling the bike and was about to tell him to get on when she realised something that might be a problem. "I have no helmet. Never really used one in my life. Didn't think of it, sorry"

She looked at him apologetically but he just shrugged and climbed up behind her. She felt a wave of heat as his chest was pressed to her back and forced herself to take a deep breath. It wouldn't do to pay too much attention to _that_ when she needed to have her full focus on their front to get them there alive.

"I'll take it slow"

"Don't slow down for me, I can take it"

She wondered if he really could, but the desire to test him was overwhelming and as soon as they got out to an open road she pushed the bike into an even faster pace then she usually set. The wind was whistling through her ears and she could feel his hands digging into her waist. He said something in her ear but the sound of the wind was way too loud for her to hear his words, only the tone of his voice got through and he was _excited_. Not frightened or frantic but _excited_. Maybe she'd have to take back that statement about him not being an adrenaline junkie.

All too soon they arrived back at the apartments, and she suddenly felt shy about showing him hers. She and Joker had done pretty good for themselves as far as the others in the same place was concerned but compared to Alenko Manor it was probably grubbier then the lowliest basement. She neatly manoeuvred the bike to it's usual place and turned the engine off. She waited until he had gotten off clearly before she kicked the kickstand down and let go off the bike.

"That was awesome!"

She turned towards him with an incredulous look on her face. He looked flushed after the ride and his eyes that had seemed so calm before were gleaming. He was gorgeous. And ecstatic, she almost expected him to start bouncing. She'd really enjoyed the ride as well, the adrenaline gave her a kick like nothing else, but she'd never expected it from a guy like Kaidan. She really should stop judging the book by it's cover. She grinned at him and patted the bike. Maybe tonight wouldn't be bad after all.

"And here I thought you'd be scared"

He huffed at her, clearly affronted by her assumption.

"I don't scare that easily" His eyes travelled over the bike. "That's some bike"

She burst out laughing and he looked back at her, confused. He obviously hadn't realised that he'd used the exact phrase as the Crows did about his parents car back in the alley.

"I'm sorry, that just reminded me of something"

It took him a moment to catch on but then he laughed and rubbed his neck with one hand.

"That wasn't intentional"

Still grinning, she waved at him to follow her up the steps towards the apartment. The others were already in there when they entered and, if the loud voices was any indication, they had been downing a few beers each already.

"Hey! Dude! Beer?"

Dave was so worked up that he had apparently lost the ability to speak full sentences, and both Athena and Kaidan started laughing, there was no way _not_ to laugh at him, bouncing up and down as he did. They accepted their beer and Kaidan turned around to discretely swallow a pill. No one but Athena seemed to have noticed, and she only did because she had been watching him to see if he felt uncomfortable in the apartment with all of them. And a little bit to check him out without him noticing. But she hadn't expected _that_. He turned towards her and she must still have looked shocked because he got an alarmed expression on his face and began to shake his head.

"Painkillers to prevent headache" When she didn't look calmer he quickly continued. "I get pretty nasty migraines, like in the alley. Sometimes from loud noises. Figured I better take one before the concert"

She still wasn't sure if he was lying or being serious. It sounded kinda weird.

"And it's okay to mix it with alcohol?"

"Yes, it's no problem"

She studied his face for a moment but decided to believe him. It was hard to say anything against those eyes. She slowly nodded and held out her own beer bottle to clink it against his in a toast and he smiled and looked relieved that she wasn't too freaked out. She'd dealt in drugs from time to time and of course she'd tested but she wasn't into babysitting someone that just wanted to live dangerously for a night. Luckily, that didn't seem to be the case.

Johnny chose that moment to turn the music up to the old speakers loudest capacity and twirled Jade around on the floor in a way that looked sure to end in a painful crash, but somehow they managed to keep themselves on their feet. Athena couldn't help but laugh at the way they tried to make completely different moves and thudded into each other. After a while of watching the show she caught Joker waving at her over the noise and pointing to the clock around his arm. She got his meaning and turned the music off, and they all started moving towards the club.

* * *

The band hadn't started to play when they arrived but the place was _packed_. Athena took Joker's arm in one hand to steady him before they all started squishing their way towards the stage. She looked over her shoulder to make sure that Kaidan was following. He was probably a few years older then herself, she guessed at two or maybe three years, but she still felt like she wanted to keep an eye on him. Considering the outcome the last time he'd been in this part of town, it wasn't that strange.

They managed to squeeze themselves to the front and stood right beneath the stage. Dave, Johnny and Jade went to get them all drinks while Athena, Joker and Kaidan guarded their places. Even though no band was playing yet the music was loud and they had to speak into each others ears if they wanted to make them hear. Joker leaned in towards her.

"Going good?"

She knew he meant with Kaidan but she chose to ignore it.

"Yeah, you?"

He rolled his eyes at her before he leaned in again.

"Come on, you know what I mean!"

She just shook her head at him with a smile on her lips and took a small step sway from him. He chuckled at her while accepting the beer from Johnny as the guys came back from the bar. Athena glanced at Kaidan and he looked a bit uncomfortable standing there, obviously not as drunk as the others in their company.

"You okay?"

She gestured towards his head to indicate what she meant and he nodded and took a swig of his beer before leaning close enough to answer her.

"It's no problem, but I think both of us are a little behind on drinks" He gestured towards the rest of the company standing around them and grinned. "Feel like getting something a little stronger?"

She grinned back.

"I like the way you think"

He lead the way towards the bar and she followed him closely. Perhaps a little closer then she had to, but what the hell. When they got to the bar he took a credit chit from his pocket and she thought about arguing about paying for her own drink, but he got there first.

"It's on me. For, you know, saving my ass"

She grinned at the comment and couldn't resist the obvious response.

"Well, it's a nice ass"

He chuckled and ordered two tequila shots which they threw back and they both grimaced at the taste.

"Another?"

He had leaned in close to be able to speak directly in her ear, and as she felt his breath against her skin she shivered. She shifted to be able to speak back and made sure to let her breath gust over his ear as she spoke.

"Hell yeah"

She couldn't tell if he'd reacted to her closeness the way she had to his, and the fact that she'd tried to make him told her she was more affected by the drinks they'd had so far then she'd thought. She had to tread more carefully the rest of the night or she might do something she'd regret. But she had just agreed to another round and she was not one to back down easily. And if she managed to embarrass herself, it would be easy to forget about it since they'd probably never bump into each other again by accident. Two more shots appeared at the bar before them and just as they picked them up a roar could be heard from behind them as the band entered the stage. They quickly swallowed the liquor and pushed their way back to the rest of the group.

The band was a well known rock band called Stain and the crowd all around them were getting wild, roaring and catcalling. Athena grinned at Kaidan at her side, ecstatic from anticipation and the buzz of the alcohol in her body. She realised they hadn't even told him what band was going to play tonight, not even the genre, but he didn't seem surprised. He only grinned back and held his beer up in a toast towards her.

Then the band began to play.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So I got a review that remarked about Shepard's age not being appropriate for a sexual relationship. At first I wanted Shepard to be 16, but I changed it to 17 because it fit the story better, and Kaidan is supposed to be 19. Thing is, where I come from (Sweden) a sexual relationship is legal at the age of 15. If this troubles you - don't continue reading. I'm sorry for not warning about this earlier, I honestly didn't think about it!****  
**

**And I managed to delete the chapter when I was putting this authors note in so if you got another mail about it: it's the same chapter!**

**Chapter 5**

_When the mornin' breaks  
__We go our separate ways  
__If the night was made for love it ain't for keeps  
__But I lose control  
__As I watch you go  
__All my senses say I'm in this much too deep_

**- "One Night Love Affair" by Bryan Adams**

The first thing she noticed when she woke up was that her head was pounding like _hell_. She was lying completely still and kept her eyes shut, trying to think of anything but the throbbing. That's how she came to notice a second thing: she was not alone in the bed.

She could feel a warm body next to her, in fact, she could feel her left leg slung over someone else's leg. She kept still and tried to remember how she got here and who the other one in her bed could be. She could feel that she was wearing a t-shirt and panties at least, indicating that whoever was in her bed had probably just slept there, which was a relief seeing as she couldn't remember anything.

She really didn't want to open her eyes to the brightness of the room so she relied on her other senses. She could hear the soft breathing of the person next to her, at least he or she was alive, and the scent...

She opened her eyes without thinking as the realisation hit her, but quickly closed them again with a groan. The person next to her started moving and she suddenly had no idea how to react. She recognized the smell of Kaidan but she had no idea how he had ended up in her bed or why. She could feel him starting to wake up though, and she opened her eyes, carefully, and blinked a few times to get the room into focus. She was indeed lying on her back in her bed with one leg over one of Kaidan's, both in their underwear.

_Well, this is awkward_.

She slowly lifted her leg and moved it from Kaidan's, praying that he was still sleepy enough not to notice the movement, and sat up on the edge of the bed, thinking she might manage to sneak off before he came to. The sudden lack of movements behind her and a sharp intake of breath told her that Kaidan was now fully awake, and probably in the same state of wondering what the hell happened as she was. A totally irrelevant thought hit her.

_I should have thought to put on nicer panties yesterday._

Of all the things to be bothered by in this current situation, that was not it. Still, it hit her that she would show them off if she got up from the bed, but she could not stay in bed either, that seemed suggestive, like this had been her plan all along. _Fuck. _

"Umm..."

Kaidan's voice brought her back and she turned her head and shifted on the bed to face him, dragging the blanket a bit towards her to cover up the old pair of panties she had on. He had propped himself up on his elbows and was staring around him like he was still trying to get his bearings. She couldn't help but laugh at his horrified expression and he turned to stare at her.

"Sleep well?"

He moved his mouth like a fish before he managed to blurt out something.

"What happened?" He stared around him again like he was looking for clues that could explain this.

"We had a lot to drink, that much my head is telling me. Guess we thought it wouldn't be a great idea to drive when we were that wasted" He winced at that.

"Lucky we still had some of our wits" He muttered and rubbed his eyes.

"As for waking up like this, I'm as surprised as you are. But I guess it would've been rude of me to make you sleep on the floor"

She grinned at him but in her mind she wondered who's idea it actually had been to share a bed. Probably hers, with the crush she had on him her drunken mind doubtlessly though it was a great plan.

She searched the room for her pants and as she saw them in a heap next to her on the floor, she stood up and quickly put them on, ignoring the irrational embarrassment of her underwear. The t-shirt she slept in was the same one she wore last night but she could see her bra next to the bed and decided not to explore the various mortifying options of how it got there. Apparently Kaidan didn't remember anything from that part of the night anyway, so no need to worry.

Her head was still pounding but the whole who-the-hell-is-in-my-bed-incident had managed to take her mind of it. Still, coffee would be nice.

"You want some coffee? Don't have any breakfast though, sorry"

Kaidan looked confused for a moment, like he'd been so occupied by his thoughts he almost hadn't heard her.

"Uhh...Yeah. Coffee sounds nice"

He still looked dazed as she made her way out to the larger room that served as both kitchen and living room. There was no sign of Joker but his door was closed, so he was probably still sleeping. As she put the filter and coffee into the machine she tried to remember as much as she could of last night. She remember being a bit drunk when the band started playing and she remembered the great concert. Afterwards they had stayed at the club and Johnny had suggested a stupid drinking game about throwing the caps of their beer bottles into a glass, having to drink if you failed. She couldn't remember the outcome of the game so apparently she hadn't done well.

The coffee had just finished brewing by the time Kaidan came out of her bedroom, fully clothed. She poured two cups and handed one to him.

"You okay?"

He just nodded and sipped at the black coffee.

"We don't have any milk or sugar since both of us take it black"

He just shrugged.

"That's fine. Anything with caffein in it sounds great at this point"

She chuckled at that, he apparently had even more of a headache then she did. Then she remembered that his head usually troubled him.

"How's the head? You have any more of those pills? I have aspirin if that helps"

He waved her concern off.

"No, this is just a regular hangover. Nothing to worry about"

He smiled at her and even if it looked kind of pained, she got a warm feeling in her stomach at the sight of him. His hair was still tousled after sleep and he had some stubble on his cheek, but she liked the look of him disheveled. And those eyes managed to make her stomach flip all on their own. She snapped out of her musings when he started to talk again, sounding a bit... embarrassed?

"I hope I didn't make you too uncomfortable with me sleeping in your bed. I honestly don't remember how we got there, but I would never try to.. uhm... take advantage of you or anything"

He looked really uncomfortable himself, and she couldn't help but think that he looked adorable with his sleepy look and the blush that crept up his face after his little speech.

"I don't remember either, but I don't mind. We still had some clothes on so I guess we just slept. Not sure we would have been able to do anything else anyway, with how wasted we must have been"

She grinned at him and was rewarded by a chuckle in return.

"So... uhm... Does this happen to you often?"

He still looked embarrassed, studying his coffee cup with more interest then should be possible and she grinned at his question. The whole 'getting to know each other' routine _after_ they'd slept together was kind of awkward. Even if they had actually just _slept_.

"Waking up in bed with a guy without remembering how we got there? No, not really. You?"

"A guy? No, not really"

They grinned at each other before he averted his eyes and looked down at his coffee again.

"Not a girl either. I usually don't drink like that"

"I must be a bad influence"

She was smirking at him as he looked up at her, searching her eyes for something, and she finally understood that he was disturbed by the whole incident and wanted confirmation that she wasn't usually like this.

"And I don't normally drink like that either. You must be a bad influence on me"

He looked relieved and smiled without looking like he was in pain. The coffee must be doing it's job for his hangover, it sure had with hers.

Joker choose that moment to groan from inside his room and they both looked at the door, waiting to hear if it was from pleasure or pain, but then they heard his voice again, sounding very small.

"... Shep? I'm dying"

Both Athena and Kaidan chuckled at that and she went to the cupboard to fetch a coffee cup for Joker.

"It was fun, though. The parts I can remember anyway. Let me know when you want me to drive you home"

"Shit!"

She spun around to see what was wrong and at his frantic typing at his omni tool she figured he'd forgotten to let his parents know he wasn't sleeping at home. She tried to hide the smile that tugged the corners of her mouth, even if he was older then her he was such a _boy_. He froze and looked over at her, realizing he hadn't answered her.

"Yeah. Thanks. It really was fun"

He smiled briefly before going back to typing the message, and she filled a cup and went into Joker's room.

He was lying in his bed with the cover up over his head and groaned when she put the coffee cup down to hard on the floor beside him. She sat on the edge of his bed and pulled the blanket off his face to find him squeezing his eyes shut tightly.

"Brought coffee. Just hangover, right? Nothing broken?"

She didn't think there'd be but best to ask. Sometimes he got a fracture and didn't tell her, the stubborn idiot.

"Nah. Wouldn't call it _just_ a hangover, though. Feels like my head is about to explode. And I might throw up if I try to move"

"So no coffee?"

He slowly held out his hand in response and she smiled and gave him the cup. He sipped it carefully without sitting up and then handed it back to her. A voice from outside his door made them both turn their heads and Joker's eyes cracked open. It sounded like Kaidan was calling his parents, and Joker turned to look at her, the hangover seemingly forgotten for the moment.

"Is that _Kaidan_?"

"Yeah. Too drunk to drive him home last night"

She opted for a casual approach but Joker saw right through her and grinned widely.

"And where did he sleep, I wonder?"

She still tried for nonchalant.

"In my bed of course. Couldn't let him sleep on the floor"

His grin got even wider.

"And where did _you_ sleep?"

She shot him a murderous glare. Her silence seemed to be answer enough and Joker started laughing, until it turned into a pained groan and he squeezed his eyes shut again.

"Hand me my coffee?"

She got off the bed and walked to the door.

"Nope, you're on your own now. I might even slam the door on my way out"

"No! No sound. Silence is golden"

She smirked but closed the door carefully on her way out.

* * *

A few hours later she led Kaidan out of her apartment to drive him home. Part of her felt sad, they'd only just met but she really enjoyed his company. They both got on the bike and his chest once again warmed her back as she drove in a somewhat lower speed then last time.

When they arrived outside his house she wasn't sure what to say. She wanted to see him again but since the last part of the night and the morning had turned out kind of weird, she wasn't sure he'd want to. Still, asking couldn't hurt, right?

As he got off the bike she cleared her throat.

"So... Wanna do something some other time?"

She forced herself to look into his eyes as she asked the question, but all she really wanted to do was look away. His eyes looked warm though, and he was smiling.

"Sure. Did you have anything particular in mind?"

"No, not really. Any ideas?"

He didn't answer but bent over his tool and started typing before holding it up towards her own, and just like that she had his number. She reciprocated and looked up into those beautiful amber eyes again. He was still smiling.

"How about tomorrow? You wanna hang out?"

She was a bit surprised by his enthusiasm and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. Well, the first thing that wasn't about his eyes anyway.

"Don't you have a job or something?"

His smile faded at that and he looked down at his feet while he cleared his throat.

"I... I'm between jobs right now. How about you?"

"I'm not between jobs but I haven't heard of anything that needs doing for the moment"

He opened his mouth and she dreaded the question about what exactly she did do for the Reds, but he closed his mouth again without a word. Probably for the best. She wasn't really ashamed but she didn't know if he'd realized that she was a criminal. Not an assassin or anything, but not exactly a law abiding citizen.

"So... tomorrow then?"

He looked uncertain and she had to smile. Why did he look so cute when he was insecure?

"It's a date"

The moment the words left her mouth she froze. That wasn't how she'd meant it, but he only smiled and started to walk towards the house. The door swung open before he got there and she could see Mrs. Alenko, Mr. Alenko and David Anderson standing inside, obviously awaiting Kaidan's arrival. Both parents dragged him off once inside but David stayed at the door, watching her. She raised one hand in greeting and he did the same, before she gunned the engine and went back to where she belonged.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Took a while to get this out but life has been crazy recently. It's longer then the others though! **

**Chapter 6**

_I was broken and alone,  
__I wanna rest my bones  
__The sun is shining now,  
__But still I'm feeling cold_

**- "Jaded" By Takida**

When she arrived at Kaidan's house for the maybe-date he was already standing outside, leaning against his family's grand car with a small smile on his lips. He was dressed casual, like saturday night, and seemed to have been waiting for her, even though she was ten minutes early. Just the sight of him sent shivers up her spine and she tried her best to ignore it. This wasn't even a real date. At least, she hadn't meant it as a date when she asked him, just to hang out. Casual, with no strings.

"You getting on?" She indicated the bike with a wave of her hand.

"No. I had another idea"

"Oh?"

She was curious now. He didn't want her to spend the day here, did he? But then he fished out some keys from his pocked and unlocked the car before getting into the driver's seat.

"Come on"

She gaped like a fish for a few seconds before she kicked the kickstand down and got off the bike to sit at the front seat of a car that was worth more than her whole apartment and everything in it. She should be paying more attention to the awesome car and the fact that she was sitting in it, but sitting next to Kaidan while he was driving took up all of her thoughts. He smoothly drove them away from the house and she kept her eyes glued to him as he took them towards the city.

"Why are we taking the car?"

She didn't even realize that the words were out of her mouth before she heard them, she had been too focused on the man driving. _Geez, Shepard, look alive_.

"I wanted to drive"

"I would have let you drive"

"The bike?" He turned his head to look at her before he quickly turned his eyes back to the road. "I don't know how to drive that"

They were quiet for a while before he asked

"You don't like the car?"

She shot him a disbelieving look but he was too focused on the road to notice.

"Who wouldn't like the car? I just feel a little... out of place" She admitted.

He gave her a small smile.

"Well, we're almost there"

"And where exactly is 'there'?"

"You'll see" He had a smug smile on his face as he drove them slightly outside the city. When they stopped and she saw the track she turned to stare at him in total disbelief.

"_Go kart?!_"

"Yeah, Why? You afraid of loosing?" He grinned at her and she felt herself grinning back, not able to contain the goose bumps as the nerves gripped her. This was going to be awesome. She'd always wanted to do this but never has the money to spend on it. But the way Kaidan got out of the car and shook hands with the guy in charge, exchanging pleasantries, said he'd already taken care of that. He waved at her to get out as well and she obliged, walking beside him as they made their way towards the track. She caught Kaidan glancing at her and looked up to find him watching her with a worried expression.

"Is this alright? I was thinking maybe a vid but..." He trailed off and shrugged.

"Are you kidding? This is perfect!" She grinned at him and could see his face light up in response.

"Thought you'd like it"

They stopped by the karts to get the helmets on before they got in. Athena chose the black and blue one out of habit, leaving Kaidan with the red.

"So I know you can drive a bike but I have been doing this for years" He grinned at her with the helmet in his hand. "And I think we should have a bet"

She laughed as she got into the car.

"So you're telling me you gonna win and then you want me to agree to a bet? I'm not that fucking stupid!"

"Why? Think you're gonna loose?" His mischievous smile sent shivers of anticipation down her spine and she smiled at how easily he'd manipulated her. He must have been thinking about this for a while.

"I don't loose" she stared into those warm brown eyes calmly and raised one eyebrow. "What sort of bet did you have in mind?"

"Looser buys the winner lunch?"

"Done"

They put their helmets on and when the flag fell both cars shot forward.

* * *

"I can't believe you won!"

Athena snorted with laughter at Kaidan's annoyed expression, he looked like he just found out there's no santa claus.

"Why? You already knew I could drive. Thought I couldn't handle anything with more then two wheels?"

Kaidan pouted and she laughed at him.

"I'm actually good at go kart"

"Sure. But I'm better" She grinned at him and after a few seconds he couldn't help but grin back. Not such a sore looser, then.

"All right miss I-can-drive-anything, hurt my manly pride if you have to"

They got back in the car and Kaidan started driving back towards the heart of the city.

"Since you won, where do you want to eat?"

Athena shrugged. She didn't really know of any places at this part of Vancouver he was taking them.

"Surprise me"

He seemed to think for a while before he parked outside a taco place and looked over at her.

"This alright?"

"Perfect"

She loved tacos, but then so did everyone so it was a safe bet. She followed him inside and they sat down at a booth in a corner of the restaurant to get a bit of privacy. As Athena looked at her menu she stole a glance at Kaidan and found him watching her. He quickly looked away and focused his gaze at the menu in front of him, but she could see se the blush that crept up his face and fought to hide her smile. If the warm feeling in her stomach was any indication, she was far too pleased to have found him watching her, and the fact that he'd blushed made it feel like they were fourteen and had their first crush. She might still be a teenager but she had seen too much shit to be behaving like a lovesick puppy.

"How old are you?"

His head shot up and he looked surprised at the question. He obviously couldn't know where her mind had taken her while watching the menu. The waiter choose that moment to get over to the table and they quickly made their order. When he went to get their drinks, she turned her eyes back to Kaidan, waiting for an answer.

"I'm nineteen. You?"

"Seventeen"

He nodded, like he'd assumed as much. She wasn't surprised either, although she might have guessed at 20.

"So... is this going to be one of those awkward first dates where we interrogate each other about our lives?" He said it with an amused tone but she locked on to one word.

"I wasn't even aware this was a date"

"Well, I took you racing and let you win-" She snorted at that and he grinned "- and now I'm buying you lunch. I'd say that's a date"

She looked herself over in mock dismay.

"I should probably have worn my high heels then"

He laughed out loud and she grinned, glad to have been able to joke it off, but a part of her insides was still burning at the thought that she was on a date with this guy.

"Do you even have high heels?"

"What kind of question is that to ask a lady?"

"I'm so sorry, please forgive me"

They were both grinning at each other over the table when the waiter arrived with their drinks, promising the food would be there soon.

"So do you? Have any high heels?"

"Stick with me long enough, maybe you'll find out"

She smirked at him but he just smiled back warmly.

"I'll hold you to that"

_It can't be healthy to have your heart beat this fast_. She could actually hear her heart pounding in her ears, something she thought other people made up when they were writing about romance. She struggled for something to say but the waiter with their food came to her rescue and they ate in silence for a while. She was sure the taco was good but she couldn't really taste anything with her mind spinning out of control. He'd as much as admitted that he liked her (as if the fact that he was on a date with her wasn't any indication) and she hadn't answered. She was very intrigued by him; he was fun, attractive and her insides did a little flip whenever she thought of him, but she wasn't sure this was a good idea. They were from completely different worlds and she didn't even know him that well. _Then get to know him, you idiot_. She made up her mind in a few seconds and looked up to see him watching her again but this time he didn't look away, just kept those warm eyes locked onto hers.

"I hardly think this is a first date though, seeing as we've already slept together" She grinned as he blushed and ducked his head. "But I wouldn't mind a little interrogation. If we're gonna go into the real stuff though, we should get some beers and go to the beach. More privacy"

"Yeah. Sounds like a plan"

They smiled at each other and Athena got back to her taco, surprised to find how good it tasted.

"This is really good!"

Kaidan looked up from his food with an amused gleam in his eyes.

"You notice that now?"

She shrugged and stuffed in another mouthful that prevented her from answering and he smirked before going back to his own taco. For some reason she felt like he knew exactly where her mind had been.

They ate while comfortably engaging in some small talk about the food, the city and their waiter, who kept looking at them kinda weird. Athena was sure the man was waiting for her to pull out a gun and rob the place while Kaidan was sure he was checking her out. They agreed to disagree and went back to the car after Kaidan had payed for their lunch.

"You want to get those beers straight away? It's only 2 pm"

She bit her lip while thinking. It did seem more like an evening conversation.

"Maybe a little later. Be nice to watch the sunset"

He smirked at her again.

"I knew you were a romantic"

"Yeah, I have romantic feelings for the sunset"

"So I'm the third wheel?"

"Something like that"

They grinned at each other before Kaidan started the car and they left the parking lot.

* * *

They spent the afternoon strolling in the city while eating ice cream and making up stories for people they saw. Athena changed their direction when they got a little too close to downtown eastside and Kaidan looked at her a little funny but didn't say anything. She didn't think he understood what kind of trouble they could get into there, even though he'd experienced some of it for himself. Or maybe he just thought she'd felt comfortable there, which she normally did, but not with him and not in this part. She didn't feel like explaining it at the moment and pretended like she hadn't seen his expression, leading him to a music store she just spotted.

"I didn't know you played"

She looked up at Kaidan from the guitar in her hands and grinned.

"I think there are a lot of things you don't know about me. But yes, I play"

"Can you play me something?"

She grinned even wider and hung the expensive guitar back on it's rack.

"Can't take away all the mystery. Another time" She added when he looked disappointed.

When they left the store she looked at her omni tool and was surprised to see the time, it was almost 5 pm. Sunset was around 9, but it couldn't hurt to start early.

They got some beer and hot dogs and made their way back to the car.

"Where to?"

She had already thought of the answer.

"Take us back to your house" He stared at her and she elaborated. "So we can leave the car and take the bike"

He smiled, making his whole face lit up and she felt as if her eyes were glued to that warm face. The spell was broken when he turned his head to start the car and drove them back.

The Alenko house was not the most expensive and fancy house in the neighborhood, not by far, but it had a certain charm and it was a lot bigger then any house she'd even been in. She was wondering what it might look like inside and where Kaidan's room was placed. The house didn't seem as intimidating as it had the first time she saw it.

They got out of the car and Kaidan went into the house to grab a backpack to put the food and drinks in. When he came back she was already straddling the motorcycle and answering a message from Joker on her omni tool.

"I brought a blanket as well" Kaidan held it up to show her before squeezing their stuff in the backpack and getting on the bike behind her. The now almost familiar warmth at her back made her smile and the bike roared to life under them. She drove towards English bay, but another part then where they had met a few days before, hoping for more privacy.

They were lucky – no one else was there. She turned the bike off and they spread the blanket out on the ground and sat down. Kaidan handed her a beer and for a few minutes they just sat there and looked out over the water, both lost in their own thoughts.

"Alright, ask away"

She was brought back to reality by Kaidan's voice and realized he wanted her to start asking questions in their 'first-date-interrogation'. She took another sip of her beer and then she asked the question that had bugged her for days.

"Why where you in that alley?"

He hung his head down and she could see that he thought of the answer.

"I'm not really sure. To get into trouble, I guess" He said at last.

"Why?"

"That's... a long story"

"We have time"

He gave her a weak smile before he started telling his tale.

"My mother was downwind of a transport crash when she carried me and I was exposed to eezo in the womb. I'm a biotic" He didn't look at her, just kept staring out over the water and seemed to be waiting for her to say something.

"You can move shit with your mind? That must be cool!" Alright, maybe not the most eloquent response but she didn't know what else to say. His head snapped around and his eyes focused on hers. He looked surprised.

"You gonna be afraid of me now?"

"Why would I? You gonna toss me around like a rag doll?"

He let out a surprised laugh.

"Not unless you want me to"

"Hmm... I might have to think about that" She smiled wickedly and he smiled back for a few seconds before he turned his face towards the water again.

"Actually I don't use my biotics anymore"

"Why?"

He sighed and got back to telling the story.

"When I was fifteen I was hauled to jump zero, the space station, with a couple of other kids. Conatix rounded up children and teenagers that had been exposed to eezo and not gotten brain tumors to see if they had any biotic potential. Our instructor was a turian named Vyrnnus and we 'disliked' each other from the first day. He didn't like humans in general and pushed us hard, some of the others couldn't take it. One day he broke a girl's arm when she reached for a glass of water instead of using her biotics. She was a friend and I don't know what I was thinking but I stood up, and he attacked me instead. When he drew a knife I lost control, hit him with a biotic kick in the face. Snapped his neck"

Kaidan got silent and kept staring out over the water, probably not seeing anything. Athena didn't know what to say. He was obviously hurting over what happened and she didn't know any words that would make it better. Instead, she shifted closer and put her hand on his shoulder. He turned his face towards her and she could see the pain in his eyes.

"I killed him, Athena"

He'd never said her name before. It took a second for her to focus on the conversation instead of how her name sounded coming from his mouth.

"You wanted to defend a friend. That's honorable. It was an accident. And he was obviously a dick"

He managed a weak chuckle and she smiled at him, wishing she knew what to say to make it better. This was not what she had in mind when she suggested the beers and private place. She knew she would have to tell him about what she did for a living but she had not expected him to have a story like _that_ in his baggage.

"I still killed him"

"It was an accident" She repeated and looked into his eyes, holding his gaze. "Accidents happen"

He just looked at her for a few seconds, as if to make sure she was sincere, before he smiled a warm smile.

"Thank you. I've never told anyone that story"

She was suddenly very aware of how close they were sitting and that she still had her hand on his shoulder. She cleared her throat and put the hand back in her lap, don't really knowing what to do with it.

"Was the girl alright?"

"Rahna? Yeah, she was fine. Didn't really talk after that, though. She was afraid of me"

The tone of his voice suggested that this girl might have been more then just a friend. How someone could be afraid of Kaidan was beyond her, he was like a cozy golden retriever. Or a teddy bear, warm and cuddly.

"After that they shipped us all home and 'encouraged' us not to speak of it" He shrugged "I was in a bad place and I've never really gotten out of it. Things go well for a while but then it all comes back. Sometimes I just can't stand being around people who knows nothing about it and thinks the next party is the only thing to worry about. You know?"

"Yeah"

She did know. She'd starved on occasion when she was younger and being around people who had no idea of the realities of life could make her nauseous.

"So to answer your first question: I was in that alley to get away"

She nodded but didn't say anything for a while, thinking about what he'd just told her.

"Your turn"

He studied her for a while before asking his question.

"Why did you help me?"

It was not the one she'd prepared for and she suspected that she gaped like a fish for a few seconds before she got her bearings.

"You needed it"

He raised his eyebrows at her and she decided that since he'd poured his heart out to her she might as well reciprocate.

"I had been on a job and saw you lying there. I was gonna walk past and leave you to avoid trouble for myself but... I had a friend when I was younger who got beat up and knifed by a couple of guys from another gang. We didn't know where he was and we searched, but by the time we found him it was too late, he'd bled to death. If someone had helped him he would probably have lived. Such a stupid thing. Seeing you lying there just reminded me of it and I couldn't just walk" She shrugged, feeling very uncomfortable talking about this. But then again, Kaidan sure hadn't enjoyed telling her his tale either.

She looked up to see him watching her. He looked thoughtful as if he was processing what she had said. After a while he nodded like he understood and asked the question she'd dreaded.

"What job had you done?"

She fought the urge to wriggle her hands in her lap and sat motionless while she pondered her answer.

"Guess you could say I'd been spying on another gang. The Reds, the people I run with, had been screwed on a delivery. We got a tip that one of the other gangs had put some of the stuff up for sale and we needed someone to check it out discreetly. You don't start a gang war without confirmation"

"Did you find anything?"

"No, nothing. But that doesn't say much, they could have hidden it well"

"So that's what you do for the Reds? Spying?"

He was probing, and his careful expression hid his true feelings, which scared Athena a little. She didn't like not knowing what he was thinking, but he had been honest with her about his past and she had to do the same. Thing was, this wasn't just her past but her present too.

"Among other things. Look, I'm not a cold blooded killer or anything but I am a criminal. Stealing, spying, smuggling, drugs. It's all fair game when you have to fight for survival. I don't regret anything but that doesn't mean I'm proud of it"

She looked straight ahead and drank more of her beer. She was afraid to see the look in his eyes because she didn't know how much of this was news to him and how much he'd already guessed.

"Have you ever... you know, killed someone?"

Her head snapped to the side to stare at him. Killed someone? What sort of person did he think she was? Before she blurted out that exact sentence however, she remembered that he _had_, even if it had been an accident. No need to rub it in.

"Never killed anyone or beaten anyone that didn't start it"

He nodded and they both turned their gaze towards the water for a few minutes. Weird enough, the silence wasn't stifling, more like comfortable. Even though they had just told each other their most intimate secrets. Well, some of them anyway.

"Where are your parents?"

Full of questions, wasn't he.

"I'll tell you about that but then it's my turn with the interrogation!" She smiled to take the sting of her words and he smiled back sheepishly.

"Sorry, I'm just curious"

"Alright. Never knew my dad and lived with my mother, only one day she disappeared. I was four. When no one picked me up at kindergarten they tried to reach her but never found her. After a few weeks living with one of the other families that had a kid there, I was shipped off to the orphanage. Met Joker there. Five years later we ran away when it was clear we weren't gonna get adopted. No one wants a nine year old kid, and we started stealing and pickpocketing, sometimes begging. Then I tried to steal the wallet of the leader of the Reds" She smirked at the thought. "Got caught of course, just my luck. Anyway, he was impressed that I'd gotten it out of his pocket without him noticing and offered to give us a job. At that time we would have done anything for the promise of a warm place to sleep and food, but I doubt he would have just let us go if we'd refused" She shrugged to try to appear casual. She didn't like this walk down memory lane. "And that's my whole story"

She forced herself to look into his eyes and ask the question that had been eating away at her for the last few minutes.

"So, you gonna run now you know what I do for a living?"

He looked genuinely surprised.

"No. Kinda guessed that's what you do"

"Yeah but guessing and knowing for sure are two different things"

"I'm not running, Athena" Her eyes snapped back to him as he said her name for the second time that night. His brown eyes locked onto hers and he lifted his hand to put a lock of her hair back behind her ear. She shivered at the touch and prepared to lean in closer towards him when her stomach grumbled loudly. They stared at each other for a few seconds before they both started laughing, chuckling at first but then it grew almost hysterical. _Of all the times to be hungry..._

When they finally managed to calm down Athena's belly was hurting for laughing too hard.

"I guess we should collect some driftwood so we can eat"

"Sounds like a plan"


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_Well, I've got two tickets to the game  
__It'd be great if I could take you to it this Sunday  
__And I'll walk you home when the whole thing's done  
__If you're there, I don't even care which team won  
__We can stop at the coffee shop  
__And make fun of the cops in the parking lot  
__We can laugh as we both pretend  
__That we're not in love and that we're just good friends_

**- "Don't Ever Let It End" by Nickelback**

"Shep"

She turned in her sleep, not wanting to wake up. She was way to sleepy to wake up, it couldn't have been more then a few hours since she went to bed and even then she didn't fall asleep at once.

"SHEP!"

She jerked awake, only to drop back down onto her pillow with a groan when she saw Joker sitting in front of her bed, grinning.

"When did you come home?"

"You really don't know anything about personal boundaries, do you?"

"Why? Might there have been someone else here?" His grin got even wider.

"No, you jerk! Because I'm sleeping and would like to continue doing so"

She resolutely pulled the covers over her and turned around so she had her back to Joker.

"Sooo, how did the non-date go?"

"Perfect, will you leave?"

"No"

She sighed and turned back towards Joker, fixing him with a murderous stare and his grin got even wider. He knew her better then to be intimidated, she'd never hurt him of course, but once in a while it would have felt good to just punch him.

"Why are you pestering me about this? Awfully girly of you. Next you'll want to braid my hair"

"Just curious. Want to know if he took you to see some sappy vid" He shrugged.

"Fine. Go karts, then lunch, then walking around, then the beach and beers. Happy?"

"Go karts?!" Joker jaw dropped and he looked really envious of the fact that Athena had got to do something he'd wanted for years but could never afford.

"Yeah" She looked smug on purpose and hoped that might be enough to make him leave but he just leaned closer, a mischievous look on his face.

"Think he wanna go on a date with me?"

Athena started laughing even though she was still mad at him for waking her.

"Don't think you're his type"

"Too bad" Joker sighed dramatically before rising from the chair, not bothering to put it back in the kitchen. Just before he was out of the door he paused and turned.

"So, who won?"

Before Athena could answer the question with a proud response, her omni tool buzzed with an incoming message and her face cracked into a smile when she saw who it was from.

"Yuck, that look on your face is making me nauseous" Joker said as he stepped out of her room, not bothering to close the door. Athena made a rude hand gesture towards his back before she went back to Kaidan's message.

_Up yet?_

_- Kaidan_

She smiled and her belly did a little flip when she though of the almost- kiss yesterday, the moment that her traitorous stomach had stomped on. Ah well, there would probably be another time. They had laughed it off and collected wood for a fire that they used to cook their sausages, and then they watched the beach as it got darker and darker around them. They had stayed there until well after midnight, talking about everything and anything and finding out stuff about each other. Athena had driven him home and he'd attempted to sneak in and not wake his parents, but she had no idea if he'd succeeded.

_Yeah, Joker just woke me. What are you doing?_

_- Athena_

_Nothing, just couldn't sleep. You wanna grab lunch?_

_- Kaidan_

_More like brunch? Sounds great._

_- Athena_

She realized she'd been holding her breath when she waited for his answers and slowly let it out. She couldn't believe the amount of butterflies that was fluttering in her stomach, it was absurd. She'd not been this weird about a guy since her childhood crush when she was ten, and considering how _that_ had ended, she was not too thrilled about the butterflies being back. _Although it feels kinda great._

_Pick me up?_

_- Kaidan_

Athena smiled and typed a quick 'Be right there' before she jumped out of bed and into the shower. She went into the kitchen to drink some water and found Joker sitting at the table, checking his omni tool.

"Heading out?" He asked without looking up.

"Yeah"

"Kaidan?"

"Yeah"

"You're about as talkative as me" He finally closed the omni tool and looked over at Athena, gesturing for her to pour him a glass as well. "Got a message from Eric. We're gonna do a raid on the LS to get out stuff back"

Athena paused with the glass halfway to her mouth. The Lost Sons were the gang that they suspected had stolen their merchandise no more then a week ago.

"I found nothing when I searched their place"

"Well, apparently Eric and the others wanna check it out for themselves" He looked up at her with a frown. "Gonna be dangerous"

Athena handed him his glass while she nodded absentmindedly. In her head she was going over the layout of the LS's base and the possible places they could have stored the goods where she hadn't found it.

"How do we know they haven't pawned it off already?"

Joker shrugged

"No idea, ask 'Eric The Mastermind'" He said and rolled his eyes, making Athena chuckle.

"He does think he can rule the world, doesn't he?"

"Sure does"

"So when is this all going down?"

"Sunday. They figured we need time to prepare, and if we hit early enough they might still be passed out drunk"

She nodded and washed her glass.

"Well, I'm heading out. Be back in a few hours"

"Yeah. I'll start tinkering on the Beauty, get her ready to get your asses out of the fire if things go bad"

She waved at him and headed out the front door, wondering if she should say anything to Kaidan about this. She decided not to, she didn't even have any details yet. But she would have to meet up with some of the others later and go over the details. She sighed, feeling like she somehow had a little black cloud following her.

Kaidan was already waiting when she stopped the bike in front of his house, holding a bag. He smiled at the sight of her and she couldn't help but smile back, despite the troubles at home.

"I made a few sandwiches and I thought we might eat them on the balcony"

Her eyebrows shot up.

"Here?"

"Yeah. I mean, if that's alright" He looked at her nervously and shifted his feet. "We can go somewhere else if you want"

She thought it over for a second, but all the reasons she'd had for not wanting the enter the house before seemed to have disappeared.

"Sure, why the hell not"

She swung off the bike and he beamed at her as they walked up the driveway together.

The house was really nice, but not overly fancy. Everything was clean enough that she didn't want to touch anything for fear of leaving a mark, but Kaidan's obvious delight that she wanted to come in was worth it. They made their way upstairs to the balcony and the view made her draw in a quick breath. They could see English bay from here and it would probably be absolutely beautiful at sunset.

"Yeah, it's quite a view"

Kaidan had seen her looking and held out a sandwich to her as she sat down on the floor beside him. She had no idea why they were sitting on the floor instead of the chairs nearby, but chose not to question it. They were sitting much closer then they would have been in separate chairs so she wasn't about to complain.

The sandwich was tasty and the view and Kaidan were awesome, but she felt disconnected to it all and her mind kept wandering back to what Joker had said. She really needed to talk to Eric. And she needed to tell Kaidan about it at some point, if not the whole truth then at least an explanation to why she would be so busy the following days. Even though he said that her running with a gang didn't bother him, it was a big difference in telling him things she'd done in the past and things she was about to do.

Kaidan was asking her something and she hadn't payed attention at all, being lost in thoughts.

"I'm sorry, what -" Her omni tool chose that moment to ping loudly and she started. Kaidan looked at her weird and she realized that she was jumpy as hell, and he could probably tell.

_We need to talk. Be here in one hour._

_- Eric_

She sighed. No time like the present.

"I'm sorry Kaidan, I'm a little distracted. I have some work to do for a couple of days and I won't be able to meet up for lunch like this" She caught his suspicious gaze and quickly added "I'm not blowing you off! I just got a lot to do for a while"

"What's happening?"

"Remember I told you about some goods that disappeared?" He nodded and she took a breath before continuing, deciding how to phrase it. "We gonna look into it some more, see if we can find it and get it back"

She wasn't lying, that was exactly what they were going to do. Just a tad more violent then she just described it. _Then why does it feel like lying? _She bit her lip waiting for his response, but he just shrugged and took another bite of his sandwich.

"Alright. Any idea when you'll be done?"

"Should be done by monday. But I'll have the nights off, we're just preparing"

_Please don't ask what we're preparing for_.

"Yeah okay" He suddenly looked uncomfortable and she felt her heart sink. This was it. He was going to ask a bit too much and then he'd freak out. Even with brain camp, he had no experience with this sort of thing except from vids and had no idea that this wasn't as unusual as it sounded. As a matter of fact, she'd been part of a couple of raids and they were always dangerous. Not like they ran in guns blazing or anything, more like fist fights but then there was the occasional blade involved, usually just to scare but you never knew.

"Cause there's this party here on friday. A couple of my friends are coming over, it's one of the guys birthday, and I kinda wanted to ask if you would like to come"

Athena stared at him in shock. That was so not what she had expected him to say. Kaidan was looking everywhere except at her and still seemed really uncomfortable. He wanted her to meet his friends? Sounded pretty reasonable seeing as he'd already went out with hers. She could get away for one night, right? Joker would cover for her otherwise.

"Okay, sounds fun"

He finally looked at her and his happy smile made her own face light up just by looking at it. He shifted a bit closer and put his arm around her shoulder. She froze for a moment in surprise at the contact before relaxing and resting her head on him. His arm was warm around her and she wanted to close her eyes and stay there, forget about all the rest. Unfortunately, Joker had other plans.

_He's in a shitty mood. Don't make him wait_

_- Joker_

She sighed but made no move to get up. Kaidan had turned his head to look at the message over her head and his breath was warm against her scalp.

"You have to leave?"

"Yeah. Soon. Not yet"

She could feel him smile into her hair and they stayed there, on the floor of the balcony with the beautiful view, for several minutes before Athena sighed and untangled herself. Time to work.

* * *

"Someone finally saw fit to arrive" Eric's snide comment made her good mood from earlier disappear entirely.

"I'm not late"

"You're here last"

"Still, not late"

He scowled at her but didn't answer and turned towards a display on the wall to start the meeting. Athena glanced around and saw all the familiar faces. Most of them didn't deign to notice her but Dave gave her a smile and a nod and Johnny and Jade, the two J's, waved. She moved to stand next to Joker and he gave her a frown for being last and she responded by rolling her eyes.

Eric brought up the layout of the LS's base and started pointing out the possible places where they might have stored the goods. Athena only listened with half an ear, as she already knew the blue prints by heart after her scouting mission. She wanted to ask how he could be sure the goods were there and hadn't already been sold but thought it better not to push her luck. She almost jumped when Eric turned towards her with a question.

"Which of these places did you manage to check out?"

Athena stepped forward and pointed them out one after one.

"I obviously couldn't get to anything in the basement since I didn't have security clearance but they usually store all their stuff in this shed here and I found nothing there"

"Unless, of course, they knew we were gonna be searching for it"

She shrugged but didn't answer and stepped back to stand beside Joker again.

"We've snooped around and nothing have been sold yet so we know it's all there somewhere" _Well, that answered that question_. "We have to do a lot of scouting these coming days. We need to find out how many they are, how their shifts work and how to get into the base. We also need to figure out escape routes and the best way to handle it all. Leave that last part to me. And the most important thing: _you must not be seen_. Anything that could tip them off to our plans could lead us to walking into a trap and then there's _your_ asses on the line. Got it? Good. Yennie will have your assignments"

Eric left the room and they all crowded around Yennie who read up their assignments from a list. It was nothing surprising. Athena, Dave and Johnny were put on the recon team, Joker on transportation and Jade on tech.

When they left the building Athena heard her name being called and her heart sank when she recognized Eric's voice. He was coming towards them and still seemed to be in the same pissy mood as before.

"I heard you got yourself a boyfriend"

Athena's jaw almost dropped onto the floor at this statement but she managed to control her expression. Who in hell would be stupid enough to tell Eric something as personal as _that_? Not that Kaidan was really her boyfriend, but whatever! She spared a quick glance for those around her and saw Dave shifting his feet and looking very uncomfortable.

Johnny and Jade had been a couple since forever, meaning that Dave often hung out with Athena and Joker when the two J's wanted to be alone. Athena considered Dave to be her next best friend, but sometimes she just wanted to _strangle _him.

"What's it to you who I fuck?" The best defense is a strong offense. Although Eric didn't seem to care.

"I don't care who you fuck as long as you're here for the ride. Don't forget who saved your sorry ass on the streets all those years ago. You owe me. Don't mess this up"

"It's not a problem" Athena was furious that he'd try to get involved in her personal life and showed it by her rigid posture and clenched fists, but he was as calm as ever and just smiled back.

"That's all I wanted to know"

He turned and walked away.

"Come on"

Athena was seething and didn't even glance back to see if they were following, just started walking back to hers and Joker's apartment. Once they were all inside she rounded on Dave like a hurricane, forcing him to take a step back.

"What the _hell_ was that?! You told him?!"

Dave backed away from her fury and held up his hands to show his surrender.

"I didn't mean to! He asked me where you were and I just said you might be with Kaidan! It just slipped out, I'm sorry!"

She turned around and paced the room in anger, clenching and unclenching her fists.

"I didn't think it was a big deal until he cornered you back there..."

She was still mad at Dave but he looked so miserable standing there with his head lowered and his hands at his side. She knew he'd never do anything to hurt her on purpose, he was just impulsive and did things without thinking about the consequences first. She sighed, walked over to him and put her hands on his shoulders, making him look up at her.

"It's fine. Nothing will probably come of it"

* * *

**A/N: Just a note that my boyfriend pointed out to me when he read this. Lost Sons is apparently an MC club, but this is in no way about them, I just came up with the name cause it sounded kind of badass in my head ;P Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, you guys are great!**

**Chapter 8**

_Together we stand_

_Well, it's just you and me_

_So baby hold on and you'll see_

_Forever we stand_

_And we'll make it through_

_'Cause I know I can't live without you_

**- "Forever" by Skid Row**

The past few days had been rough. Most of the people in the Tenth Street Reds had been up at dawn to do their tasks and prepare for the raid as best they could, not going to sleep until late in the night, but for the people in the recon team it was worse. They needed to scout night as well as day and they didn't have enough time to rest much in between. Luckily, Athena had managed to take as much of the shifts early in the week, meaning that she'd get the night off and wouldn't be needed until midday tomorrow for the final brief and sharing of the plan.

She thought the one in charge of the recon team, Yennie, knew that she was gonna go and visit Kaidan since she wriggled her eyebrows suggestively at Athena, but she was more easy going then Eric and probably wouldn't tell. Actually, what did it matter if she did? Athena wasn't breaking any rules and she'd done her work already. What she did in her free time was none of their damn business.

To be honest, she was more worried about this party at Kaidan's house she was about to go to. She had no idea what she was supposed to wear, what his friends were like and what he'd told them about her. Should she dress like she used to or was she supposed to be in heels and a dress? Despite what Kaidan had thought earlier, she did own high heels and a dress. She just never wore them.

In the end she decided to wear what she felt comfortable in. Kaidan didn't seem to mind and if his friends did, tough luck. Black jeans, a green tank top that matched her eyes and a pair of riveted black boots. She arranged her long red hair into a ponytail and put on the same light smoky makeup she always wore.

After staring at herself in the mirror for a few more minutes she frowned at her girly behavior and stepped out of her room, only to be greeted with cheers from the guys in the kitchen. Only Joker had been there when she started the hour long what-the-hell-am-I-going-to-wear-session, but now Dave, Johnny and Jade were there as well. She put her hand on her hip and glared at them but none of them were intimidated, just chuckled at her. Joker raised her eyebrows and looked her over with a smirk.

"So, after an hour in there swearing, you come out looking like you always do"

She narrowed her eyes and stared at Joker, who tried to adapt an innocent expression.

"You telling me I don't look good enough?"

"Good enough for rich kids who have their own pool and wear suits? Probably not"

_He abandoned the innocent attitude before he even started._

"You look really good. Wouldn't be you if you were wearing some dress" Dave smiled warmly and she almost smiled back, but then she frowned.

"I can't tell if that's a pity compliment or a 'forgive me' compliment"

"Neither, I swear" Almost as an afterthought he added "But you have forgiven me, right?"

This time she actually laughed. Dave was like a puppy, sweet and innocent. He never did anything to harm you intentionally and when he accidentally did, he felt really bad. She could never be mad at him for long.

"What will you give me if I say yes?"

"A beer?" He held one out to her and smiled that crooked smile of his.

"Then yes"

Joker sighed audibly. "Why aren't all girls that easy to bribe"

They all laughed and Athena threw the cap of the beer bottle at him. She seated herself at the table among the others. She didn't have to leave for a few minutes.

"So, what about this raid, huh? Should be pretty exciting!" Dave beamed at the thought of being some sort of hero and Athena shook her head and looked down at her beer. _The heroes never survive, Davie._

"You've read too much romantic stories, Dave. Realty are never like that. I don't like this at all" Johnny was always more down to earth and Jade nodded an agreement to his words.

"I just want to do do my usual shit and get paid. I don't intend to die for the Reds" At her words, Johnny slung his arm over her shoulder and hugged her.

They were both afraid, Athena thought. And with good reason. Anyone going into a raid where the other side might or might not be prepared for it should scare anyone sane. Dave wasn't insane though, but he couldn't see the reality of it. He just thought of the reward if they got what they wanted and not of the price to be paid. Athena believed herself and Joker had pretty much the same outlook on the whole thing, that they had to do this, it was their job but they didn't have to like it. Get in, get out. Survive. She sighed and finished her beer before getting up from the table to leave.

"Thanks guys. After your depressing company I actually look forward to this party"

* * *

When she rode the bike towards Kaidan's neighborhood she thought about the conversation with her friends a few minutes earlier. How was it possible for her to be worried about a party when they had a life threatening situation only a day and a half away? Maybe it was a good thing, something to take her mind of reality for a few hours. The party had already managed to do that, hadn't she spent an hour debating on what to wear?

She frowned and drove a little faster, arriving at Kaidan's house within minutes. Several cars were parked in the driveway and she maneuvered the bike in between them to block it from view from the outside. No one in this place would probably want to steal it, but anyway. The cars were as fancy as Kaidan's parents car and once again she wondered if she should have dressed differently, but then she saw Kaidan walking towards her, a smile on his face, and all the thought of clothing went out of her head.

She swung her leg off the bike and was greeted with a hug that made butterflies flutter in her stomach. He had strong arms that held her tight and was a few inches taller then she was, causing her head to rest on his shoulder. After a few seconds they broke apart and when Athena looked up at him, he looked about as flustered as she felt. They hadn't seen each other since the brunch on his balcony a few days earlier, she'd been too busy to sneak away. They had messaged, of course, but it was a lot different then actually meting in person, and she realized with a pang how much she'd missed him. He gestured with his hand for her to follow and started walking around the house towards the back.

"We're outside, thought we'd have barbecue for dinner"

He smiled at her, and from the way he didn't seem able to take his eyes off her, he had probably missed her too. She walked beside him, suddenly feeling less nervous now that she'd seen him and was genuinely happy that she'd decided to come. This was a good distraction.

She felt like she'd been introduced to a hundred people, but in reality it couldn't have been more then twenty. They all looked at her differently, some seemed interested, others wary. It didn't matter, she didn't come her to make friends, just to see Kaidan.

After all the introductions, Kaidan went to get her a beer and as she stood by herself, one of the guys came over to talk to her. His name was Oliver, she remembered, and he looked a bit like Dave, tall and blonde with a mouth made for smiling.

"Hey, brought you a beer"

She looked down in surprise and saw that he was indeed holding two bottles.

"Thanks"

She took a long swig of the drink, noticing that he was watching her the whole time. He didn't seem creepy, though, just curious.

"Ask away"

"What?"

She chuckled at his surprise and he smiled sheepishly before answering his own question.

"Was I that obvious?"

"Yes"

They were both grinning now and he took another drink before asking his first question.

"You're live downtown?"

"Yes"

"You get into much trouble?"

She laughed. He wanted to know how close to the truth his vids were. There was no reason to crush the boy's fantasy.

"All the time"

He laughed as well. "You're just saying what I want to hear"

"I'm dead serious" She tried to keep her face severe, but failed and they were both laughing as Kaidan approached. She turned towards him as he came to stand next to her and thought she noticed a shadow over his face for a second, but that couldn't be. He could not be jealous. _Though it would be kinda awesome if he was. _

"I see you already got a beer"

"Can never have too many" She smiled at him and searched his face again for a trace of that shadow but it was nowhere to be found, he just smiled back his normal, warm smile.

"You still think so after last saturday?"

"Ended up in the same bed didn't we? Not too bad" They both laughed and Kaidan's face looked a bit redder then before. Oliver looked like he didn't know if he should go or stay, poor guy.

"We decked after a concert, we were really wasted" She felt the need to explain it to Oliver since he looked like he wanted to run, thinking they were talking about something other then sleeping. "Oliver was just asking me about life downtown"

Kaidan rolled his eyes and Oliver quickly defended himself.

"She told me to ask! I've never been there, how am I to know?"

"You can come with next time a good band is playing. It's never far between"

Oliver's eyes widened and both Kaidan and Athena had to laugh at the happy look on his face.

"That would be awesome! What music do you listen to?"

"Rock, hard rock and metal, mostly"

"Me too!"

"Good, then you'll enjoy both the music and the splendor of downtown eastside"

They all laughed at that and started to move towards the grill, their mouths watering at the smell of the cooking meat.

* * *

Athena was actually having fun. She always had fun with the guys at home but they mostly did the same thing, go to concerts and drink on the beach, and meeting new people was interesting. She really did like Oliver. He'd been hanging out with her and Kaidan the entire night and at some point a couple of others had joined them. Two girls named Marie and Jennifer and a short guy called John. They were currently sitting on a blanket outside the large house, close enough to the grill that they didn't get cold.

Kaidan had been sticking to Athena's side the entire night and she wasn't complaining, every smile he gave her made her whole body tingle and she felt like a small girl. An alarm started in a part of her head every time it happened but she blatantly ignored it. She'd earned some fun, and right now she couldn't think of anything that would be able to destroy this.

After some more discussion it became clear that Oliver and Athena liked the exact same music and they sat discussing it for so long that Marie finally said enough. Athena stole a glance at Kaidan and saw that shadow on his face once again, and she had to force herself not to smile. It was so cute that he was jealous of some random guy she talked to for a while. Once again she came to think of how much of a _boy_ he was.

He suddenly got up and walked over to a nearby tree, resting his back against it. Athena was a bit surprised by his sudden move and frowned before she got up and walked over to stand beside him.

"Hey" She nudged him with her shoulder and smiled at him and he smiled right back and leaned a little closer to her. "Why are you standing over here?"

"Needed a little quiet"

"I'll shut up"

He chuckled and nudged her shoulder back. "That's not what I meant". They stood there quiet for a while, watching the stars, before Kaidan blurted out something he'd obviously been thinking about.

"Oliver likes you"

She started and looked at him. It was too dark to be certain, but she could have swore that he was blushing. She knew what he meant, but decided to walk carefully anyway. She couldn't believe he brought it up as blatantly as he did, but if he wanted to play this game she'd participate.

"I like him too. I like most of your friends, they're cool"

"That's not what I meant" He fidgeted on the spot and now he was definitely blushing. "He _likes_ you... as in more then a friend"

Kaidan looked so uncomfortable with the topic, even if he was the one who had instigated the conversation, that she couldn't help but smile at his obvious jealousy. He wanted her to confirm that she didn't think of Oliver that way but he was too chicken to ask her flat out, instead hoping she'd tell him on her own.

"Well, he's not bad looking and he's nice. Good taste in music too" She knew she was mean but she just had to leave him hanging there for a little while, he was so cute when he was embarrassed. Kaidan hung his head and she resisted the impulse to laugh. "Too bad I'm already into someone else"

His head shot up and he looked at her with a childish glee in those puppy eyes of his, it almost made her laugh again but she kept her careful expression, not wanting to give anything away. _Oh wait, I think I've seen this moment in a sappy vid!_

When she didn't say anything else, Kaidan tried to get her to elaborate.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. He's kinda cool. Very handsome. And nice. But I'm not sure he really likes me. I mean, he hasn't even kissed me yet. Seems to get jealous when someone else likes me, though"

Athena kept her eyes forward but she could feel his eyes on her and she smirked. Was he going to rise to the bait?

"What an idiot"

Two could obviously play this game.

"Nah, he's not so bad"

"I'm sure he'll have kissed you before the night is over"

Her smirk got wider and she turned towards him, stepping a bit closer.

"Is that a promise?"

Instead of answering, she could see Kaidan's gaze darting between her eyes and her mouth as his tongue peeked out to moisten his lips. He stepped forward slowly and Athena could hear her heart pounding in her ears, sure that it would jump out of her chest at any moment. _Jeez girl, it's like you've never been kissed before. _

He brought his hands up to cup her face and she closed her eyes when she could feel his hot breath against her mouth. When his lips finally pressed against hers, she felt like her blood was storming inside her veins, rushing in her ears, and her stomach doing some weird flip. His lips were soft and warm, and he was kissing her carefully, not wanting to deepen it in case she'd want to break it off.

She had no intention of breaking it off, and ran her hands up his back, pressing him closer to her. She opened her mouth and trailed her tongue along his already parted lips before snaking it inside his mouth to tangle with his own. The feeling when their tongues met felt like an electrical shock and a small whimper left her throat as his hands tightened around her head, one hand traveling back to bury itself in her hair.

She pressed herself against him, wanting everything he could give her. The kiss had turned demanding and she could feel his arousal against her hip, exciting her even more. She didn't want the kiss to end, but she needed to breathe, so after several seconds she pulled back, but not out of the embrace. She rested her forehead against his and they stood like that for a while, breathing hard.

Yes, this was a very good distraction.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this out but I'm still struggling with the last week of school and it's a long chapter. Thanks for all the reviews, they make me really happy!**

**Chapter 9**

Athena listened to Eric with half an ear, still thinking about the events of last night. If she brought her fingers up to her mouth she could still feel the way Kaidan's lips had felt against her own, still smell the faint fragrance of his cologne. Just thinking about it made those damned butterflies return. There had only been that one kiss even though she'd desperately wanted to kiss him all night, but Oliver had found them and wanted to play cards and they didn't have a good excuse to decline.

She sighed and tried to listen to what Eric was saying about the raid. This was really important and a part of her was ashamed that she hadn't said anything about it to Kaidan last night. She had planned to at the beginning of the party but then she'd had so much fun and she didn't want to ruin the mood. After the kiss she had completely forgotten about the raid until she came home and was reminded by Joker.

They would hit the LS's base tomorrow at 5 am, while the others were hopefully sleeping or drunk of their asses. If the plan worked out they wouldn't even have to fight them, just sneak in and take their stuff out of the basement, where they were quite certain that their goods were located. _But seriously, when does it ever go as planned?_

"Any questions?"

Athena started as she realized that Eric had finally stopped talking and she hadn't really listened. _Jeez, girl_. She had to ask Joker if she'd missed something.

No one spoke up and Eric told them all to go and make sure they were well rested til tomorrow.

"And if I can smell alcohol on anyone of you tomorrow, I'll kill you"

Athena rolled her eyes as the stupid threat. Of course none of them were gonna risk their life and drink before a raid, but Eric always had to make ominous threats.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, Shep. I own your fucking ass"

She bit back her angry retort at a look from Joker and a slight shake of his head. No reason to get them all in trouble. She just shrugged and left, Joker limping after her as fast as he could. Suddenly, she wanted to drink a few beers just to be defiant.

Joker spoke the moment they got inside their apartment, before Athena had a chance to say anything.

"Sorry. But no need to get him more riled up"

Athena sighed and dropped into a chair.

"I know, he just pisses me off. He's got it in for me, I promise"

"I know. But he can make our lives a living hell"

"Isn't it already?" Athena muttered and got a surprised glance from Joker before he sat down across the table.

"And here I thought I was the cynical one"

"Sorry. Just angry at this whole thing. It's been such small jobs for so long, I kinda forgot the hard parts"

"I know what you mean"

They sat there quiet for a while, both lost in their own thoughts. Athena kept thinking about the raid and getting a bad feeling about it. Joker would drive some of them there and back, and he'd be their escape route if something went wrong. He could drive that car of his like no one else, but he was pretty fragile and she didn't like him getting into this. If they crashed the car for any reason, he'd probably break most of his bones even if it was a mild bump for the rest of them.

"You could get out, you know"

Joker's head snapped up at her comment.

"What?"

"You could get out. Join the Alliance, if you want to. Or get a job driving. You turn eighteen in two weeks, you know. I could pay for food and such until then. You wouldn't have to be in the raid"

He stared at her with an intense gaze and she thought he might hit her, his fists were so clenched that his knuckled had turned white.

"You think I'd leave?!"

She shrugged, very uncomfortable with the anger in his voice. He was never angry at her.

"Just wanted to put it out there"

"This is about the Vrolik's again, isn't it?"

Athena fidgeted in her seat. She knew this was a sensitive topic and hadn't meant to upset him, just trying to protect him. But he didn't want to be protected, never had.

"No. Yes. Just... I'll want to leave when I come of age, and you turn eighteen almost a year before I do. You don't have to stick around if you don't want to"

"Like I'd leave you here" She looked up at him questingly. This wasn't the normal witty Joker, this was the man behind, that so rarely came out.

"You wouldn't last a day" He added sarcastically. They both knew it wasn't true.

She didn't know if Joker believed her explanation or if he was just ashamed of his outburst and tried to smooth it over, but she was grateful anyway. She always felt the need to protect him and knew he hated it but she couldn't help herself. He was like a brother.

It was a tricky situation. She'd be relieved if he decided to leave, because this gang with Eric in charge felt like a ticking time bomb. It hadn't always felt like that, but now they were so close to becoming legal adults, and she'd thought about it for the last two weeks and decided that joining the Alliance would suit her. When she turned eighteen, but that was still a while away. Not for Joker, though.

But at the same time, she'd be heartbroken if he left. They had lived together for so long, she couldn't even imagine how it would be in the apartment, or the Reds, without him. And she knew he felt the same, even though he never said it. _I'm such a hypocrite, I'd never leave if the roles were reversed. _

"I know" She answered even if they both knew it was a lie.

"Would they even take me?" There was a pained note in his voice and she felt a pang of guilt. What if they wouldn't? She'd just assumed they needed people for everything, that they could use a pilot or a driver that didn't have to use his legs as much as a regular marine. She'd have to ask David Anderson.

"Haven't asked, actually. But why not? You don't need legs to fly"

Joker nodded but looked somber and she wanted to kick herself. The only thing she'd accomplished was to make him miserable and if things went south tomorrow, this might be their last night. _Don't even think that. _

Without a word she brought up her omni tool and pulled the card from Anderson out of her jacket. She had been so sure she would never use it, now here she was.

_I need to talk to you. Still on earth?_

_Athena Shepard_

She prayed he'd be able to answer soon and wasn't disappointed. Merely a few minutes passed before her omni tool pinged.

_Yes. Where do you want to meet?_

_David_

She thought for a moment and then typed back the location on the beach where they'd accidentally met more then a week before.

_I can be there in an hour_

_David_

She smiled at the message, relieved that she'd get to ask him before the raid.

"That him? The Alliance guy?"

Joker nodded at her omni tool to indicate the message exchange.

"Yeah"

He nodded and smiled a bit. He didn't have to say anything, she knew he appreciated her looking out for him and he'd always wanted to fly. She only hoped Anderson would be able to give her a definite answer. She knew Joker wouldn't leave before she could anyway, but it might give them something to look forward to. A future.

* * *

She was early, pacing back and forth, kicking the sand while she waited for Anderson to show up. She was nervous but didn't know if it was because of the raid or because of the answer she might get. She heard steps behind her and turned around to see Anderson walking towards her. She smiled at him, completely devoid of her previous caution around him. Maybe Kaidan's easy behavior was rubbing off on her. He looked a bit relieved at her smile and she realized he might have thought she was in trouble.

"Hi. Thanks for coming"

"No problem"

They fell in beside each other and walked down towards the water. Athena didn't know how to begin, 'I need a favor' seemed a tad demanding since she hardly knew him. She decided to make it more of a general question.

"I have a question. About the Alliance" Anderson nodded to show that he was listening and to encourage her to go on. "Would the Alliance admit someone into flight school who might not be able to fill the requirements to become a marine? But who would be able to fly without problem"

She didn't look at him as she asked, but stared out over the bay instead. As much as she wanted his answer, she dreaded it. What if he said no? What would Joker do then? What would she do? If Joker decided to stay with the Reds she'd probably stay too.

"Are we talking about your friend with the crutches?"

"Yes"

"What's wrong with him?"

"He has a disease. Vrolik's syndrome, brittle bones since he was born. He can get around but not run and stuff. He's an amazing driver though and always wanted to fly" This time she kept eye contact to try and see what was going on inside his mind.

Anderson shrugged "As long as he can do his job without problem and can go through basic weapon training it shouldn't bee an issue"

Athena could have kissed him. But she settled for a hug, which seemed to surprise him. Understandable, seeing as she was a bit cold the other times they'd talked, but he snapped out of it and hugged her back.

"Thanks. I was really worried you'd say no"

"Is something the matter? Why are you so worried about this now?"

She let him go and averted her eyes from his searching gaze. She hadn't told Kaidan and she didn't want to tell him, he'd just worry, or worse: Kaidan might find out from him.

"No. Just... he turns eighteen soon and I kinda put the thought in his head. Would have felt really bad if he hadn't been able to join up"

She was sure he could see right through her but thankfully he didn't comment on her lie.

"Does that mean you're going to join up as well?"

She laughed softly. Still trying to recruit.

"Maybe. Been thinking about it"

"Kaidan change your mind?" There was a twinkle in his eyes that said he knew what had been going on, but she still sputtered a few unrecognizable words before she found her tongue.

"What makes you think that?"

"Just heard he's spending a lot of time with you. 'Smitten' is the word I believe his mom used"

Anderson's grin was wide, and at his words, Athena couldn't help but copy his expression. _Smitten, is he?_

"We've been hanging out. He's cool" She shrugged and tried to appear nonchalant, but the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth gave her away. "Anyway, I gotta get back"

Anderson nodded with a grin. "Let me know if you have any other questions, otherwise I might see you around"

She could tell he was grinning as he walked away, and shook her head but she couldn't get rid of the smile on her face. The old man was growing on her.

* * *

The people in the car on the way to the LS's base were quiet as everyone was thinking about their own stuff. Athena was sitting shotgun next to Joker and glanced his way every now and then, happy to see that he had a small smirk on his lips. When she'd told him what Anderson had said he'd hugged her and beamed but said nothing, not that he needed to. She was happy as well, even more so for bringing him good news on the eve of the raid.

An idea had started to form in her mind of them both joining up when she turned eighteen, leaving their old life behind for a new one without leaving anyone behind. Dave would want to join as well but probably not Johnny and Jade. It would be fine either way, she and Dave would be in basic together and that would be awesome.

Suddenly this raid seemed a little less grim. Joker looked her way and they smiled at each other, thinking of the same things.

All too soon they arrived in the vicinity of the base. They didn't drive all the way for obvious reasons, but they were close enough. Athena, Dave, Johnny and Jade got out of the car but Joker stayed put. He would wait there until they came back.

"Good luck"

She nodded back to him as the other two cars arrived and their people got out to join them.

"Let's go"

They followed Eric and Yennie as they led the way towards their goal. Athena had been around here so much these last few days that the base felt very familiar, almost as their own, but only from the outside. Inside they had to hope that their assumptions and blueprint of the buildings would be enough to guide them.

Just like their own headquarters, it consisted of one large building and apartments around it, but there were always people sleeping at the base as well. And there were alarms that they would be in real trouble if they set off. Athena wasn't a techie and had no idea how to disable the alarms, she had to trust that Jade and the other two knew what they were doing.

The sun had started to rise and they were all dressed in grey to stay as invisible as possible in the morning mist. It felt eerie as they all walked quietly towards the doors, glancing around to make sure no one was watching. They were all bearing knifes but they almost never had to draw one. Eric and Yennie both had a gun on their hip, but it was most for show, Athena was sure they'd never fired on another human. Almost sure.

Jade and the other two techies walked up to the door and started fiddling with their omni tools while the rest of them looked around, preparing to warn the others if they saw someone. Luckily they didn't, and the door opened without a sound or alarm. Athena let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding and Eric motioned the recon team to go through the door first.

They got in and stopped for a while to let their eyes adjust at the sudden darkness. When she could see again, she could tell that the building looked exactly the same inside as they'd thought. _Thank god. _

They moved towards the basement since that was the most possible location for the wares and was confronted with the same alarm system as outside, but Jade and the others rushed forwards to get rid of it. If the goods were in the basement they wouldn't have to go in to the central room where there were probably people sleeping, and maybe avoid detection. Athena didn't relish the thought of having to fight their way out of here.

She swore under her breath as they entered the basement, the place was filled with crates. How the hell were they supposed to know which was theirs without having to open them all? There was nothing else for it and they started moving around to silently open them and peek inside. After what felt like hours, Eric's voice could be heard in the eerie silence.

"Here"

They all moved towards a crate in the back where Eric was crouched and he smiled as he turned towards them, triumphantly holding a bag in his hand. Luckily for them, it was a small crate but Eric counted the bags of red sand and nodded at them, signaling that it was the whole shipment. They took the bags quickly, all of them equally eager to get out of there, and moved back outside quietly.

Athena had finally started to think that maybe, just maybe, this time things would go according to plan when a shout to the right of them made them all jump and look around. A guy was standing outside one of the apartments and had already brought a hand to his omni tool to wake the whole place up.

Athena exchanged a quick glance with Dave beside her before they both started sprinting towards the cars, and all the others followed. They had an escape route planned for the cars to throw the chase off, but if the LS's managed to block them Joker would have to improvise and none of the drivers were familiar with this neighborhood.

The shouts behind them had multiplied and Athena could tell that they were about to be chased through the streets. She just hoped Joker was ready to go, and as they rounded the last corner she saw to her great relief that the cars were already started and turned the right way. She sprinted to Joker's car and threw herself inside, hearing Dave, Johnny and Jade getting in behind her, as breathless as she was.

"Go!"

She didn't have to tell him twice. Joker stepped on the gas and their car shot forward before any of the others, neatly maneuvered through the snug alley and out on the open road. They had almost let out their sighs of relief when another vehicle shot out of a street to their left, with the obvious intent to cut them off and force them to stop.

"Hold on!"

Athena had never seen Joker look as concentrated as he did in those terrifying few seconds when it looked like were going to crash right into the oncoming car. She was dimly aware of Jade's shriek of fear but all her focus was on Joker, who stepped on the brake and turned the steering wheel hard, making the car spin 180 degrees. With one hand on the gear shift and one hand on the steering wheel, he made the car speed back in the direction they'd come, then making a sharp turn to the right.

Athena lost count of their direction with the furious driving, the other car was still tailing them but falling further behind with every turn thanks to Joker's skill to maintain high speed in the sharpest of curves. When they finally came out onto the highway, Athena knew they'd won. Joker had spent a lot of time tinkering on his baby to make sure it could outrace any other, and she wasn't disappointed.

They sped away at a speed that would have scared most people shitless, but they'd ridden with Joker for years and knew he could handle it. He drove them around a little more before going back to their base and they all breathed out a relieved sigh when they finally parked. Joker's head dropped onto the steering wheel as the others made their way out of the car, legs shaking. Athena leaned forward and put her hand on his arm.

"You alright? That was some crazy driving"

He chuckled but it sounded forced.

"Yeah. Always have to rescue your sorry ass"

She laughed and he smiled back, looking much better. He seemed shaky and a bit high on adrenaline, like the rest of them. Athena gathered up the bags with the drugs that were scattered in the car and went to give them to Yennie, who was standing outside her own car putting up a brave front, but she was betrayed by her shaking hands when she accepted the bags.

Suddenly, Athena felt more tired then she could remember ever feeling before and made it back to their apartment, only to be greeted by loud music and beers. Apparently, Dave and Joker felt the need to party it all away, even though it was 8 am on a sunday. Tired as she was, she couldn't help but laugh at their enthusiasm.

She got some coffee and joined in the celebration as more of the gang showed up. Suddenly, there were a lot of people in their small apartment, even Eric showed up for a quick visit, and was actually civil against Athena for once. He must either have used some of the merchandise or he was still high on adrenaline.

Joker was glad to be alive and to have gotten them out of there, retelling the car chase again and again, embellishing it more every time. Dave was practically jumping up and down, telling all who would listen how he would be a big Alliance hero and do this kind of thing all the time. Athena didn't know if she should laugh or cry.

* * *

Athena groaned as her omni tool beeped to wake her. She had been too tired after the party the day before to go and see Kaidan but she'd messaged him and they were going to meet up for lunch. She had decided to tell him about the raid and she was worried about how he'd take it.

With a sigh she got up, took a shower and dressed before going out in the kitchen to make some coffee. The apartment was silent, Joker was probably still sleeping. She slipped out as quietly as she could and rode her bike to Kaidan's house, the road very familiar at this point. As usual, he was waiting in the driveway, in his black jeans that she'd told him she liked and a smile on his face as he saw her. _Smitten, Anderson had said. _

The thought warmed her insides and she smiled back as she parked the bike. She noticed the nice car was nowhere to be found. As soon as she had swung off the bike he was there, hugging her and seeking her mouth with his own. It was a sweet kiss, nowhere near as demanding as the first one and she wasn't about to let it progress to that point either, not before they'd talked anyway.

After a few seconds she broke the kiss and stepped back, regretting it even as she did it but she needed to come clean first. He looked a little confused but she smiled and motioned towards the house.

"Balcony?"

He nodded and took her hand as they headed inside. His sweet manners made her heart ache and the thought of not telling him and just go with it crossed her mind, but she immediately shook it off. She was not like that and this was important. She wasn't leaving the Reds for a while yet and if this was going to work he needed to know what she did, in more detail then she'd told him last time.

Kaidan got some leftovers out of the fridge and warmed it while they engaged in some small talk. He didn't try to kiss her again, he had probably sensed that she had something on her mind but didn't pressure her, waiting her out instead.

They sat down on the floor of the balcony and started eating their lasagna, but she didn't notice any taste. Too caught up in her thoughts and figuring out what she was going to say. After a long silence she decided to just do it. He'd either come to terms with it or he wouldn't, but sitting here drawing it out didn't help anything.

"I have to tell you something" He looked up at her words but didn't seem surprised. Just like she suspected, he'd noticed that something was off. "We did a raid last night. On another gang. To get the goods back. It was kinda dangerous but no weapons involved, and they found us just as we were leaving and then there was a car chase, but Joker was driving so we made it out fine" She said it all in one quick breath and waited for his response.

His eyes widened and he opened his mouth without a word coming out. Okay, she hadn't meant to be _that_ blunt but when she started talking it just came out. His eyes hardened and her heart sank. _Oh fuck_.

"You lied to me"

"I didn't lie!" She protested and was sure he could hear the desperate tone of her voice. "I didn't! I told you we were going to try and find our goods and get them back, and that's what we did" She almost winced at the lame excuse and Kaidan narrowed his eyes.

"You didn't tell me it involved a fucking raid!" He jumped up and started pacing. _Oh my_. She'd never heard him swear like this before, it was disturbing that it was directed towards her, but it was _hot_.

"I know. I should have, I just... I had only heard it from Joker when we had brunch and I didn't want to say anything until I'd heard the plan. And then we didn't see each other before the party and I had planned to tell you then, but I had so much fun and just wanted to forget about it for a while..." Her voice trailed off after her rambling and she wasn't sure what else she should say. "And I didn't want you to worry"

She stood up and rested her arms on the railing.

"This is what I do. I can't stop just because I'm worried about what you might think, but that's the reason I didn't tell you. I'm sorry, though, you deserved to know"

She could feel him coming to stand beside her even though she kept her eyes straight forward, looking at the water. She couldn't remember ever being this tense in a social situation, it felt like all her senses were enhanced and she could smell him and feel him even though they weren't even touching. _Why aren't we touching? Why is he standing so far away?_

Panic started to build in her chest and she didn't know what to do. R_un, get out before you get in too deep._ But from the tightening in her chest and they way her feet refused to move, she knew it was already too late.

Suddenly he sighed and spoke, freeing her from her paralyzed state.

"I can understand that. But I'd really like it if you'll tell me when you're planning to do something like that from now on. I think I deserve to know when my girlfriend is involved in a raid"

Her head snapped up and she stared at him. His..._what?!_

"_Girlfriend?_" The words came tumbling out of her mouth almost without her notice and he looked a little taken aback.

"Well, yeah. Aren't you?"

She had to think for a moment, she'd never been anyones girlfriend before. But they had kissed. And she liked him. And Anderson had said he was _smitten_.

"I guess. Just hadn't thought about it" She realized how it sounded when she saw a sad look in his eyes and reached out for his hand without thinking. This conversation had just taken an unexpected turn. She squeezed his hand and smiled at him.

"I'd really like to be, though"

He gave her that amazingly warm smile and stepped in close to hug her. She took a deep breath and relaxed in his arms, feeling at peace.

"So we're good?" She mumbled into his shoulder, kind of ruining the moment but she had to make sure.

"Yeah" He rested his cheek on the top of her head and she could tell he was smiling.

She hugged him harder and felt his arms tightening around her as well. She tilted her head up to find his lips, suddenly thinking again of how hot he'd looked when he paced around the balcony and clenched his fists. He was always so calm and understanding, seeing him like that excited her more then it should have.

She found his lips with her own, and felt a surge of need when he kissed her back as desperately as she kissed him. Their tongues were dancing against each other and he pushed her into the railing so hard it would probably leave a bruise on her back but she didn't notice. In that moment it was only him, only this.

When they broke off for air, both of them were panting. He was still pressed against her and she had her hands on his back to keep him there.

"Do you want to go inside?" He gestured with his head towards the door without breaking eye contact and she nodded, not able to find her voice. The butterflies were back once again as he smiled and took her hand to lead her inside.


End file.
